Between love and ambition
by Supergirl waiting for Reamonn
Summary: The night after Galxia's defeat Haruka and Michiru finally confess their feelings but within the same night Haruka leaves her motivating her choice on a note in which she ask Michiru to follow her dream and become a violinist. A couple of years later they meet at Usagi's wedding. Both famous, both successful, both beautiful and still in love with each other...
1. Chapter 1

**_I've never tried this before and i don't know hoe popular are this kind of stories ( HxM pairing)... but i've noticed that most of the fan fictions regarding Haruka and Michiru are AU... so i thought of writing something related to the original story. _**

**_So this fanfic proposes an alternative squeal to what happened between Haruka and Michiru after Galaxia was defeated I will try to keep the characters in their canon._**

**_I'm not an native english speaker...so mistakes might appear._**

**_I also have other stories that i'm working on, so i can't promise very fast updates ( but i guess that can be solved if you review guys ;) )_**

**_Otherwise, enjoy!_**

* * *

**.**

**Between heart and ambition**

.

**_Prologue_**

.

Haruka pulled over and stopped the car on the autorute . Hotaru immediately got off, closely followed by Setsuna, while Michiru,from the passenger seat looked for a second at Haruka before following the others. The expression of her face was a strange mixture between sadness and worry. She tried to catch her partner's gaze and see if she was sharing the same feelings, but Haruka got off from the car before Mirchiru could her mind.

"Here they are! Look!" Hotaru suddenly exclaimed pointing at the sky where three shooting stars appeared.

"So they are truly gone ..." Haruka said.

"Even so, they will live forever in our hearts. Friendship doesn't mind the distance..." Setsuna added.

"Friendship?" commented Haruka. "I wouldn't go that far. We fought together, but I wouldn't call myself friend with those... even though, Michiru had something special for Seya. Isn't it right, Michiru? she added with a malicious grin while turning to her partner.

Michiru didn't answer.

"Hey, are you alright Michiru?" Haruka asked as she noticed her spacing out.

Michiru displayed a forced smile and got off from the car, approaching the others.

"So Galaxia has been defeated .. the Star Fighters are gone now...The Earth is safe along with our princess...All in all, our job is done so i was wondering what are we going to do next?" she asked.

All of them instantly turned to Haruka, waiting for her decision, but Haruka looked in Michiru's eyes with an expression that seemed to say: "Anything you'd like. Just name it and i'll do it."

"I guess we will all go back to our old lives." Setsuna finally answered. " I will resume my duty as guardian, Hotaru will be return to her father, while the two of you..."

But here she stopped, unable to continue the sentence She knew nothing of the plans those two made to the rest of their human lives, but she wished to think that they will continue on following common paths.

"I'm thinking of college, Michiru? What's your opinion?" Haruka proposed cheerfully as she was heading back to the car.

"I guess it comes naturally. The question is what kind of college?" Michiru replied while following her.

"Maybe you could rediscover the dreams you had before you became senshis. Michiru, didn't you want to play the violin and you Haruka, didn't you want to became a racer?" Setsuna suddenly intervened.

Harunka and Michiru stopped as they both remembered the persons they used to be before the enemies could menace the Earth.

Once there was a tall and blond tomboy that was running faster than the wind. All the girls in her highschool were mistaking her for a boy and for that she kept receiving weekly confessions and love letters. She loved the look on the faces of those girls when she was telling them that she is a woman and she loved when some of them were replying _"I don't mind that_". She enjoyed acting cool by giving safe rides to those pretty girls on her car... but when she was alone, she loved driving with fast speed.

Once there was a delicate and feminine girl born and raised among the rich and the nobles ones. She fit perfectly into that world, but sometimes she felt like she wanted to escape it. In those moments she was hiding herself under the water, because the water never got her wet. She could paint beautifully, but all she wanted was to become a violinist. She wanted to sing the song of the little mermaid she was.

But then Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune killed those girls along with their dreams. On the beginning it was painful, but with time, it became their new nature... So how could they pick up the lefts of the lives they so long forgot?

Haruka drove to Hotaru's house. They dropped her there and after that, Setsuna also gave her farewells and went back on guarding the gates of time. By the end of the day, Harunka and Michiru were alone in the apartment they were sharing for more than two years. They decided to rent it when they were entrusted with the duty of finding the talismans and the mesiah. Michiru came up with the idea, motivating that it would be a lot easier to accomplish the mission faster if they will spend all the time together. Haruka only nodded with stupid grin on her face, shocked by the fact that she will get to live with such a gorgeous girl like Michiru.

Haruka had always been popular among girls, so she was used with the idea of being a cocky and confident cassanova... but when she saw Michiru, her instant thought was: "_she's obviously out of my league_". It was like all her confidence was gone. Obviously Michiru never knew how nervous she was making her, because Haruka took care of not letting her feelings transpire. Later she would have understand that playing tough in front of Michiru was the right choice, because her little mermaid appreciated only confident and strong persons on which she could rely on.

She loved the relation she had with her. As partners they were equal and worked exclusively on team. They were completing each other like two sides of the same coin. They knew each other's every move and they could anticipated any reaction. They could even understand each other by only looking into their eyes. During the last two years they had grown really close... and yet none of them crossed the line once, ever. Of course there had always been Michiru's casual flirts, but it never went further than asking for help to unzip her dress.

Haruka liked her. More than a friend, more than a partner more than her own family... and yet during the two years she had known her, she didn't kissed her once. She knew that every time they were alone in the same room,it was a strange tension between them, , but Haruka considered that it was out of the question to mix pleasure with the task of saving the world. As Sailor Uranus she wasn't allowed herself feelings. She couldn't afford the weakness of depending on someone. When she and Michiru chose this path they promised each other that they do whatever it will takes to accomplish their task even if that meant sacrificing themselves or the other one. The responsibility was already huge so she couldn't add to it the feelings she held for Michiru... She couldn't!... But, oh! How much she loved her!

She was looked at her as she stepped out of the bathroom. She was wearing the fluffy white bathrobe while drops of water were falling from her wet hair on the blue carpet. Haruka loved to see her like this. No make up, no fancy clothes... It gave her the feeling of familiarity and intimacy.

"I don't know if you're aware of it, but you're staring at me..." Michiru said.

"Was i?..." she replied casually and turned her gaze to the window. She was pretending to study the Tokyo nocturne panorama, when in fact she was looking at Michiru's reflection in the window. Apparently she was taking care of a bouquet of red roses. Those flowers were in front of the door when they arrived It seemed while some were trying to chase away the evil from the Earth, others were having romantic preoccupations Haruka frowned displeased. The flowers arrived with a note dedicated to Michiru. Of course, Michiru didn't read it out loud, gesture that made Harunka even more curious on its content.

"Those highschool boys... i guess they will never get tired of courting you." Haruka commented maliciously, still facing the window.

"This one, i'm afraid it's from college..." Michiru answered casually.

Haruka clenched her fists. She didn't mind the highschoolers, but college boys were always a tough competition.

"But who knows... maybe one of these days i'll say yes to him... now that i have all the time in the world to get my life back, i guess dating would do me good." Michiru added, while raising her eyes in Haruka's direction. She knew that her last words were bitter, but she threw them so she could test the waters. _Were those flowers making her jealous? Did Haruka cared if she will get herself a boyfriend? _She was waiting for Haruka's reaction, but unfortunately the reaction never came. Harunka continued to look silently on the window. In the end, Michiru slowly approached her and put her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"So you want to go on dates, huh?" Haruka finally said.

"Saving the world had been keeping me busy for the last two years so i miss having fun." Michiru answered.

Haruka cocked an eyebrow.

"I can entertain you, if that's what you wish..."

Michiru also cocked an eyebrow.

"Well that depends on what kind of entertaining you can perform." she replied.

Haruka smiled bitterly: That's how their innocent flirts were always beginning She loved to play the game, but she knew that it wasn't leading anywhere. If until yesterday she didn't mind it because the apocalypse was giving her hard time, today, as she had only Michiru to worry about, she didn't feel like getting into simple games anymore. Today, for the first time she able to admit that she wanted more. She wanted Michiru!

"Wrong, i think it depends more on what kind of fun you want to have... So name it, Michiru and maybe i can do something for you... and then, if my skills won't satisfy you, you could call that student boy of yours."

Michiru frowned and raised head from Haruka's shoulders. The blonde's words were too straight. She didn't expect them... or if she did, she hoped they will be more subtle She took a step back and sad on the windowsill in front of Haruka. She remained silent, choosing carefully the words she was about to say. She kept repeating in her mind ever since the fight with Galaxia was over. She thought of beautiful ways of confessing them, but the straight forwardness of her blonde cut off all her inspiration.

"Are you alright, Michiru?" asked Haruka, noticing that her friend looked nervous.

Hearing her name called, Michiru lift her gaze and pierced Haruka's amber eyes. Haruka then undestood that Michiru was about to say something important. Suddenly felt her throat dry.

"Haruka...the war and the fights are over..." Michiru began. "Now we are free to do whatever we feel like. But the question is what do we feel?"

Haruka looked in her deep aquamarine eyes and replied instantly:

"I know what i feel."

Michiru's eyes widened for a second. Again, that straight forwardness surprised her:

"And what is that you feel?" she asked.

Haruka smiled and turned her gaze to the Tokyo nocturne panorama.

"My feeling have many different names... some call it desire, others accomplishment or fate... but i guess the simplest way to name it it's 'love'..."

Michiru lowered her gaze, as her heart begun to beat faster.

"Love... toward who?" she asked with a low, almost whispered voice, that made Haruka turn to her with a strange smile and say:

"I thought it was obvious... Toward you."

Michiru's eyes widened, but she remained speechless That reaction worried Haruka who begun to wonder if those words came out of nowhere for her partner .. But then as she her approaching and embracing.

"Thank you Haruka!" she whispered.

The blonde responded to her embrace but her expression remained quite confused.

"Thank me for what exactly, Michiru?" she asked.

"For answering my feelings..." Michiru replied.

Haruka's eyes widened. From all the suppositions she made during the last years, she never expected for her feelings to be mutual. She leaned over Michiru and pierced her aquamarine eyes just to make sure that they were telling the truth. She frowned hurtfully: How could she doubt those beautiful eyes that were put all their trust into her right now? In her arms, the strong Sailor Neptune and the fine miss Kaioh, as well, looked so vulnerable and eager to do anything in order to keep Haruka's arms around her. That look almost made Haruka's heart stop.

"Oh, Michiru!" she involuntarily gasped and feeling that she could no longer bear that tension, she pressed her lips over Michiru's. After that she didn't knew when she took her in her arms and put her in bed. When her hands began to wander around her body, looking for ways to get rid of her beautiful and elegant clothes. She didn't care if this was wrong. She just couldn't stop.

"You have no idea how much i dreamed of this..." she whispered, allowing her thoughts to be spoken out loud.

"You have no idea how much i waited." she heard Michiru's reply.

And that made her stop for a second and look into her aquamarine eyes.

"Waited?" Haruka asked surprised. "You waited for me?'

Michiru tried to hide her eyes as she didn't want her to dig anymore into her secrets, but with Haruka's hands were around her, she felt so helpless .

"Yes... i waited for the war to end, so i could to you..."

"Since when have you been waited?" Haruka insisted.

Michiru tried to hide her eyes again.

"Tell me, since when?" Haruka repeated as she was slowly taking of her muslin dress.

"Since the first time i saw you... at the athletic competition..." MIchiru finally confessed.

Haruka's eyes widened.

"It's from that day that i've been in love with you..." she concluded.

Haruka threw the dress and on the floor and leaned over Michiru.

The last thing that slept through Michiru's mind, before she became one with Haruka, was that instead of getting back her old life she would better start a new like, along with Haruka. That thought lingered on the back of her mind during all the time she made love to her as if it was her only change for a happy ending. Unfortunately, that night, Michiru will be learning for the second time that in life, things aren't turning up the way people expect them.

.

* * *

.

"On the way home, i kept asking myself what will be best for us to do..." Michiru said in the darkness of the room, as she put her head in Haruka's lap.

"Setsuna said at some point that we should chase after our old dreams..." Haruka replied.

Michiru, took her hand and start to play with her long fingers.

"I think this is out of the question..." she said.

"Why do you say that? Just because you haven't played your violin and i haven't drove on a circuit for a while that doesn't mean that we lost our..."

"Oh, Haruka!" Michiru interrupted with a delicate laugh. "I'm not going to give up on you, now that you are finally mine!"

Haurka frowned confused.

"Who said something of loosing me, Michiru? ... I was talking about you going to music college and..."

"And you becoming a racer." completed Michiru. "I know exactly what we were talking, but you don't seem to realize this implications of your ideas. If i will go to college and finish my studies in music, than i will also find a manager and i will have a lot of concerts. To be short, i'll be spending most of the time abroad. On the other side, as racer, you will be in the situation. We'll both end up so busy that we won't even have the time to talk on the phone..."

Haruka remained silent so she won't have to admit that Michiru was right.

"Now, you finally understand, Haruka? We can't have it both...So if i were to chose between you and the violin, i would chose you, Haruka."

Haruka's eyes widened. That answer melt and broke her heart at the same time . She couldn't stand the idea of being parted with Michiru, but in the same time she knew how much meant for her friend to become a violinist. Unable to say something, she just held her tighter.

"But still... if you want to become a racer, i will support you... i will even accompany you on tournaments." Michiru added.

"Just like a good wife..." Haruka commented with a smile, but her voice sounded hurt.

"If that's how you wish me, than i'll be your good wife."

Haruka's eyes widened again. MIchiru's words sounded like a dream for her and calling all this "a dream" , wasn't a total lie. Their feelings were true, but their words were delusional. There was no way for Michiru to play the "good wife" role. She was too smart and too independent for that. Maybe tonight she was in love with her, but after a couple of years, maybe she will find out that she, Haruka, wasn't the right person for her. What if one day Michiru will go back on liking men? In that situation, she would say that she had gave up her violinist dream for... nothing!

"Ok, _wife_," Haruka intoned. 'It's late, we had a long day and i think it's time for both of us to sleep..."

"Good night, Haruka" Michiru answered and got up from her lap, not before she gave her another breathtaking kiss. After they parted, she asked her:

"Becoming a racer, won't detain you from getting into college, right?"

"No, i guess not..." Haruka answered.

"That's wonderful! Than maybe we could choose the same university... maybe even the same major..."

Haruka frowned worried.

"Such as?..."

"Perhaps management... or business..."

Haruka's frown became deeper.

"Michiru... the management is not your cup of tea!"

"Are you trying to insinuate that i won't be able to handle some management studies?" Michiru replied slightly annoyed.

"That's not what i meant... you could do whatever you want but the management is not on the list of the things you like! You're an artist, Michiru, not a salesman!" Haruka snapped. "You should just continue with your violin!"

Michiru smiled gently.

"That's so thoughtful of you Haruka... but even if i wanted to continue my music studies, it's too late... the deadline for the music college it's off."

In that moment, Haruka put a sheet around her and got off from the bed, heading to the computer. After a couple of minutes she said:

"The deadline is still on! It's been prolonged with another two weeks!"

Michiru immediately got up and approached Haruka.

"Unbelievable!" she said and Haruka noticed they way her aquamarine eyes sparkled. "But no! I've made up my mind Haruka, my final choice is to be with you!"

Haruka didn't say a thing. She softly kiss her lover on the cheek and took her back to bad. She kept her in her arms until she fell asleep and then she covered her with a blanket. She looked at her for another couple of minutes and then, as she grabbed all her strength, she silently got off from the bed.

That night, Haruka understood that she loved Michiru more she thought. More than she expected. More than she wanted. She had always been a selfish person, but the feelings she held for Michiru changed her in the end. She couldn't stand to see her little mermaid sacrificing all her dreams for her sake. Michiru was still young... maybe too young for a lifetime commitment with her. She loved her, but Michiru needed the freedom to chase her dreams. Being around her it will only hold her back.

After she grabbed a couple of clothes from the closet, she took the keys from her car and headed to the entrance door. This time she didn't take the keys with her.

All that Haruka left behind that night was the sound of the angry engine of her car, along with her transformation pen and a note on the kitchen table:

"_You must promise me that you will follow your dreams. Don't be mad at me. It's not a forever good-bye. I'll leave my pen with you as a promise of the fact that one day we will meet again. One day... but until then become the most beautiful and the most talented violinist!_

_Haruka"_

_._

* * *

_**Let me know what you think? Will they ever be together again? How Michiru felt when she woke up alone the same day? Review and i'll let you know more of it :)**  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_**trueblue202, Alexia, Guest thanks for your reviews :),**_

_**Enjoy the new chapter and ... Happy New Year! :)**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**1. Six years of music**_

_**.**_

Michiru opened her eyes and found she herself alone on the bed in a house sunk in silence. _"She must be out for jogging"_ she though as she stood on her back facing the ceiling. Fragments of the other night came back to her and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her pink lips. Somehow she expected to feel different after making love to Haruka, but surprisingly nothing was changed. Being with Haruka was natural, so becoming one with her was the normal finality.

With lazy gestures she got off from the bed and headed to the kitchen to prepare coffee. Looking on the window, she noticed how warm and sunny that morning was. As she put the coffee in the boiled water, she thought of how well that weather was reflecting her feelings, in that moment. She poured herself a cup of coffee, she added some sugar and when she turned to table to take a sit, she found on it Haruka's pen on and a note.

Ten seconds later, Michiru dropped the coffee on the floor. Still shocked and unable to understand what was happening to her, she just thought that the weather was no longer reflecting her feelings.

.

* * *

.

Two months later after Haruka left, Michiru was entering the gates of the music Conservatory. She submitted her application and got admitted on the top of the list. The day she found her name on the admission list, she dried off her tears and moved from the apartment she shared with Haruka for more than two years. Because she felt like she needed a fresh new start and because the music was the only one who could offer her that, the only thing she took from that apartment was her violin.

As she expected, college seemed to do her good. New environment, new occupations, new friends. In short time she became the centre of the attention, since everybody wanted to hang around the gorgeous and elegant prodigy violinist. She wasn't able to forget about Haruka, but at least playing music and hanging out with friends was slowly pushing the image of the tall and cocky blonde on the back of her mind.

Then a couple of months later, she received a phone from the new owners of her old apartment. Apparently there was some mail arrived on her name at the old address. Michiru took the white envelope and the moment she started to read the letter, her fingers started to tremble as she recognized Haruka's hand writing:

" _I wonder if you are still angry with me and if you are going to burn this letter before reading it. It might be inappropriate in this situation, but I wanted to tell you how happy it makes me to know that you got in the train that's taking you to the wings of success. The top of the list! Nothing less than I was expecting from you…You deserve it!_

_You might be mad, but I'm happy and that's because you have the change of following your dream. Once day you'll understand my words and perhaps you'll even whisper me back "Thank you"… until then, I will keep missing you._

_Haruka."_

Michiru replied to that letter with a single line:

"_I'm not mad at you anymore… or at least I'm trying"_

Michiru's life continued on the same fancy way. Violin practice, parties on Saturday parties and cocktails on Wednesday. She became what Americans likes to call "the uptown girl". With such an active social live, Haruka was slowly pushed to the shadows of her mind again. But then a couple of months later, she received a new letter from her:

"_Reading that you are not mad at me anymore gave me the courage to keep writing you. I know that I shouldn't be doing this, but every time I came back home and I find myself alone in the dark living room all the thoughts I try to banish during day, are coming back to me. Most of them are questions regarding you and I can't seem to find the peace until I'm writing them to you:_

_How are you Michiru? How the college life suits you?_

_Did you make new friends?_

_Are you still keeping in touch with Usagi and her gang?_

_Are you already a great violinist?_

_No matter what the answers will be just tell me that you are happy. It will be enough for me._

_Haruka"_

In reply Michiru wrote:

"_Do you remember the elegant girl surrounded by classical music and portraits of rich and noble persons? That's the person I am right now. But what about you?_

_Ps: What is happiness, Haruka? Explain me, so I could tell you if I am happy or not."_

Again violin practice, parties on Saturday parties and cocktails on Wednesday. During summer, she had her first concert and a couple of months later she received a reply from Haruka. The blond was apparently writing her from Europe where she was training to become a racer. She told her about the life she had there, but what Michiru clearly remembered from that letter was the PS:

"_I can't answer your question, Michiru. I also forgot how happiness tastes. Let's just hope that success will make us taste it again."_

After reading that letter for the next few days she continued on humming the chorus of song she used to hate before she broke up with Haruka: _"Flames to dust, lover to friends. Why do all good things come to an end?"_.

She thought she had pushed Haruka on box of her teenage broken dreams, but apparently the blonde continued being a part of her life through those letters. Sometimes, when she was tired or sad she had the impression that she was living between two of Haruka's letters, but fortunately for her heart, most of the time, her life was about the music she was playing and the elegant world that was surrounding her.

Again violin practice, parties on Saturday parties, cocktails on Wednesday, concerts on Sunday. During her third year, she had her first solo album and sometime during that period, Haruka wrote in one of her PS: _"How foolish of me! It's been three years already… and I still miss you_"

Violin, cocktails, concerts…and one evening, during one of the usual fancy parties, a foreign musician with blue eyes, who surprisingly spoke fluent Japanese, made her laugh from the bottom of her heart. His name was Damien. Half a year later Michiru added in one of her PS: _"I found someone… I think it's serious_"

A moth passed… then two… than half a year, but Haruka's reply didn't come. After that last letter, Michiru received news from Haruka by reading the sportive papers. Most of the headlines contained formulas like "the prodigy woman racer wins another tournament". Even though at some point they became clichés, Michiru also watched most of Haruka's interviews. Haruka's appearance on TV was similar to the image Michiru kept in her mind. Maybe sometimes her hair was longer, other times sometimes it was shorter. In front of the camera Haruka seemed strong, confident, determined. She looked like a winner, always setting her eyes on the big prize... and yet she looked a stranger for Michiru, more than ever.

"_Miss Tenoh how do you feel being the only woman who competed for the Germany cup?" _the reported asked.

"_The only woman? I don't think the gender have any relevance. The moment I get in the car I'm no longer woman or man. I am only a racer" _Haruka answered.

"Oh, again the prodigy racer!" someone spoke behind Michiru as she stood in front of the TV . "Please, can I change the channel?"

Michiru turned and saw her fiancé on the threshold of the living room. He was dressed in a bathrobe and he was approaching her, while holding two cups.

"Coffee?" he asked with a grin as he took the TV remote from Michiru's hand and changed the channel.

"Good morning to you, too, Damien" Michiru replied with a slight smile.

He kissed her check and left the coffee on the small table in front of the couch. "Darling, did you knew that this morning I found in the mail a wedding invitation?" he added, while heading to the bathroom.

"And who is the lucky couple?" Michiru asked as she changed back the channel.

"Shiba Mamoru and something Usagi… I don't know them. Are they friends from your highschool or something?"

Michiru's eyes widened surprised as she kept looking at the Haruka from the tv. Usagi's wedding with Mamoru wasn't a shock, but the speed with which the time passed, really worried Michiru. Was Usagi already old enough for getting married? It seemed only yesterday that she fought with her…

It seemed only yesterday that she and Haruka were partners…

And yet it has already been 6 years since they parted.

"So are we going to the wedding or not?" Damien asked from the bathroom.

"Of course we are going" she replied and turned off the tv.

.

* * *

_**Next chapter i will take to Haruka's place to take a view of the life she had during the last 6 years... Until then read and review! :) **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Alexia (for their age i'd go more for 24 or 25), **__**Venus5-Gryffindor (take this chap as an answer to the pm you sent me ^^), **__**James Birdsong, **__**Keeper Aki, Guest thank you for your reviews. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**2. Violin and tango rhythms**_

_**.**_

"The keys ! Where are the fucking keys?" the tall one hissed while her lips were on the other girl's neck and her hands were on her pocket looking for the keys.

"Oh, just fuck the keys!" the other one replied as she pulled her closer. "Let's do it here!"

The tall one suddenly stopped and cocked an eyebrow:

"We are on the hallway. The neighbors will come." She stated.

The partner rolled her eyes with boredom and stepped back taking out of her décolletage a pair of keys:

"You stole my keys?" the tall one snapped.

"I didn't steal them!" the other one replied with a weary face. "You dropped them when you were getting off the car"

The tall one took the keys and opened the entrance door behind them.

"You could at least thank me, you know?" the other said as she followed her inside the apartment.

"What for?" the tall one replied.

"For taking care of your keys" she replied with a girlish voice.

"Yeah… right." The tall one said with boredom and turned on the light.

The faces of the two girls could be clearly seen now. The tall one was blonde with a short haircut and she was obviously dressed in masculine clothes. The other one was shorter and thin. As she put on her back her dark long hair she revealed through her blouse, some beautiful, big breasts.

"So should I serve you something?… coffee or… I don't know" the blonde said.

"Oh, Haruka…I know what you could serve me… it's something that only you could give me" the brunette replied as she approached her with sensual movements.

"Aaaamm… and that would be money, right?" Haruka replied insensitively.

The brunette put on a weary face and stepped back sitting on the couch.

"I guess coffee will do…" she finally said with a stiffed air.

Haruka didn't reply and went to the kitchen.

"How would you like it, Charlie? Black or with milk?" Haruka asked from the kitchen.

"I would like it hard with you on the top of me" the girl replied with a low voice.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Haruka said from the kitchen.

"I said I would like the coffee black , thank you" the girl replied louder.

While Haruka prepared the coffee, Charlie got off from the couch and begun to look around curiously. It was the first time she was coming at the racer's apartment. And she liked it. It was big and opened. Big widows, modern furniture and a couple of plants. She approached the library and noticed that it was not filled with books, but with classical music CDs. Then she approached her audio system and noticed one CD on the top of it:

"Kaioh Michiru?... Hmmm…" she whispered thoughtfully. She heard of that violinist. She was some kind of a prodigy, lately as famous as Edvin Marton.

"Already looking through my stuff, Charlie?" Haruka asked from the threshold as she was holding two cups of coffee.

"So you're a fan of Kaioh Michiru?" Charlie asked.

Haruka didn't answer.

"You must have some good tastes…" Charlie added.

"Good tastes on what? Music or women?" Haruka asked as she gave her the coffee.

"Haruka, we were talking about Kaioh Michiru… so I was obviously referring to the music." But here Charlie stopped, her eyes getting wider: "Wait! Don't tell me you screwed Kaioh Michiru!"

"I didn't screw Kaioh Michiru" Haruka replied with a straight face that almost made her look scary. "But instead I think that I'm about to screw you"

Charlie smiled as she didn't get her allusion. She thought her words were just some dirty bed talk.

"Now we're talking the same language!" she said and put down the coffee, approaching the blonde. She put her arms around her and begun to slowly unbutton her shirt. A self pleased smile appeared on her lips, thinking that tonight she will have her way with the famous and rich racer. She believed that the moment she will get into Haruka's bed she will do whatever she wants with her. The thought that she will make her scream her name, begging her for more. She planned to bring the "mighty-cocky- selfish" women racer at her feet. Unfortunately, all her fantasies and confidence vanished the moment the blonde put her hand underneath her blouse and open her bra with only one hand, while her lips softly tasted her neck and went down on her décolletage. In that moment Charlie become addicted to Haruka's touch. She realized that she wanted to make Haruka kneel in front of her, but in the end it was her, the one who fell at the blonde's feet.

"Ha…ru…ka…" she groaned and pulled her closer in a lustful kiss. She looked for something to lay down on and as the only thing behind her was the audio system, she sat on it and pulled Haruka closer by grabbing her tie. She wanted to kiss her again, but in that moment the music started to play from the audio system. Charlie realized that she just put her hot ass on the play button. She wanted to laugh, amused of what she had done, but then she met Haruka's gaze. It was that scary look of her:

"Fuck…" the blonde hissed, trying to find the stop button, but the brunette detained her since she recognized the violin that was accompanying those tango rhythms.

"Isn't this Kaioh Michiru?" she asked.

Haruka looked at her with the corner of her eye.

"I guess that you're a fan, as well?" she replied and reached her hand again, in order to stop the music.

"No, don't stop it!" Charlie suddenly said with a cheerful smile. "Come on, let's dance!"

"No." Haruka replied instantly.

"Why?" Charlie asked with a puppy face. "You don't know how to tango?"

"My love…" Haruka began with a fake sugary voice. "I can _tango_ you in a way that you will never be able to dance again, but that's not that point. I will _never_ dance with _you_ as long as this violin will play."

Charlie looked at her confused.

"And why's that?"

"Because, my love, you will never be able to understand the passion of this music." Haruka stated.

Charlie started to laugh.

"Do you think that I'm not a passionate girl?"

"Charlie, lust and passion are two different things."

The reply really annoyed her, but she didn't want to lose in front of Haruka.

"Then come and teach me the passion!" she whispered lustfully.

Haruka cocked an eyebrow.

"Dear, it will take me two lives to do that and unfortunately I only have tonight" the blonde replied.

Charlie frowned annoyed. She liked the Haruka. She liked her, even though she didn't like women. She was famous, rich, and single, which meant exactly her kind of target. Unfortunately, even though in bed, she was better than most of the man, Haruka was as cold as an iceberg and honest to the point that she became rude.

"You know what I think?" Charlie began. "One night doesn't seem enough for me to satisfy you. Apparently I'm not good enough for you. So let's just call it a night and pay me a visit when you'll be in a better mood."

Haruka started to laugh.

"Honestly… is this because of the tango thing?" she asked.

"Yes!" Charlie snapped."And because you're always so mean to me!... And me… poor me has not done nothing else but to like you!"

Haruka cocked an eyebrow.

"Charlie, at least be honest! You don't like me! How could you like such a cold person? You like my money and the fact that I know Rick Davidson who could cast you in a TV commercial or a cheap TV movie"

"That's it! I'm going home!" Charlie snapped annoyed, but Haruka smiled amused and approached her.

"But on the other hand, I like you, Charlie…" Haruka added, untroubled by the brunette's angriness.

"You don't like me! You like my breasts!" Charlie replied still annoyed.

"Well of course, I like your breasts… but in general I like you, as a person. Otherwise I wouldn't have invited you here. But Charlie, this doesn't mean you have to cross the line and ask me to explain you the deepness of this music."

"Uuuuuh! What's with you and this Kaioh Michiru violinist?!" Charlie growled.

Haruka raised her eyebrows surprised.

"What's with me and Michiru?" she asked with a frown. She approached her and as she sat behind her, she took her head into her palms. "_Close your eyes, Charlie and listen. Listen and try to imagine. Can you see her? Her long and undulated hair, curled up against the wind? Her aquamarine eyes… with only one look she can take your breath away and read all your thoughts. Can you see her muslin dress? She's always so elegant, so feminine ... but moreover, tell me Charlie, can you see her violin? Can you hear her playing it? It's like she's putting her heart on those strings… she's crying for her love and she's tearing it apart at the same time. I hear her, Charlie and I hate myself for not being able to keep up with her!"_

"Oh my…" Charlie hissed. "You're in love with her!"

"I'm in love with her music, yes" Haruka replied.

The music suddenly stopped and Haruka lowered her hands from her head to her waist:

"I guess the passion lesson is over. Now what do you say, Charlie, can we move on to the sex?" she asked.

Charlie gasped and turned to the blonde with an "I forgive you" look.

"That's better!" Haruka concluded. "Now let me show you… the bedroom!"

.

* * *

**_Until next time read and review! :)_**

**_Next chap, Haruka takes a look back to the life she had since she since she left Michiru. I know that all of you already hate Damien and Charlie, but obviously Michiru couldn't have wait forever for Haruka to come back, while Haruka even thought she didn't want a steady relationship, she couldn't refuse some one night stands. But i guess that despite their actions, the girl weren't able to forget about each other. _**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Guest, Viento-cortante, AleWindT, Venus5-Gryffindor, thank you for your reviews :)**_

_**.**_

* * *

.

_**4. 6 years of driving and one night stands**_

.

Haruka turned to the opposite side of the bed and noticed that Charlie was asleep. She silently got off the bed; she put her dressing gown on and went to the living room. She approached the desk and looked at the wedding invitation that arrived a few days ago. Apparently, Mamoru and Usagi were finally settling down.

"At least some of us are having a happy ending" she whispered.

Suddenly she asked herself what Michiru was doing in that moment. Was she still in Japan? Was she also invited to the wedding? Something ached inside her as she acknowledged the possibility of meeting her there. It's been already six years since she left her… six years since her live have been about driving powerful cars and having one night stands. It was always the same routine and for a while the letters she received from Michiru were the drop of magic in her life. At some point, though, four years ago Michiru wrote her that she fell in love with someone else… with a man! That year she lost the season's qualifications for the worldwide championship and she haven't wrote Michiru back ever since.

She kept thinking of her though… and she kept looking for her in all the fashion, gossip and cultural magazines. Her little mermaid looked more gorgeous than she remembered. The beautiful teenager she loved had turned into a wonderful woman. In all the pictures she had found, she always looked happy, displaying a one million yen smile. That smile was giving Haruka the strength to admit that she had made the right choice when she left her… The right choice for Michiru. But what about her? Leaving her and chasing after her dreams did her any good?

The day she left Michiru, she drove to Yokohama at her childhood house. She knocked on the door and when her mother opened it, she threw herself in her arms, crying like a little girl.

"_Mom, I messed up everything… I am not a girl, nor a man. I don't know what I am… I just know that I love her so much! My best friend, mom! Can I get more idiotic than that?"_

And her mother let her cry until her tears dried of. That took more than a week. When she put herself back on her feet she bought a ticket to Frankfurt where she was supposed to train in order to become a professional racer. She said good bye to her mother and asked to not tell anyone that she cried for a whole week. At the airport gate, she embraced her once again and after she did the check in, she asked her:

"_Mom, are you really alright with not having grand children… ever?"_

Her mother gave her a kind smile and replied:

"_I thought that gay couples could adopt nowadays…"_

In that moment Haruka remembered why she loved her mother so much. She had always been understandable and opened to all her weirdness.

The moment she arrived to Germany her life was all about BMW and Mercedes. When she was driving she kept her mind sane, but when she had to park her car she was slowly feeling like the sky was crashing on her. Sometimes she hoped for another Galaxia to come and crush the earth only so she could get to fight with Michiru again.

But no enemy approached the earth and her live went on the same peaceful manner. After three years she moved to United States. She felt like she needed a fresh new start and she promised herself that she won't look for Michiru in magazines anymore. She kept her promise… but then one morning, about a year ago as she read the newspaper in a little bistro, she found a picture of Michiru sitting next to a tall, handsome man. Beneath the picture there was a small article with the title: "_The most beautiful violinist breaks her fans' hearts by getting engaged with the famous french composer Damien Duchoix_". The moment she read that sentence, she choke with the food.

Apparently even after 5 years, she still cared about Michiru. It still shocked her that she no longer belonged to her. Even though they didn't talk for such a long time, she still lived with the impression that their hearts belonged to each other. The moment she found out about her engagement, she felt awkward . She knew her well and she wouldn't have married someone unless she loved that person. That meant Michiru had completely moved on.

'_What about me, did I ever moved on?'_ she asked herself.

"Not getting any sleep?"

Haurka rolled her eyes with boredom as she heard Charlie's voice. She turned and saw her approaching.

"Oh, what's this? Are going to a wedding?" she asked as took the invitation from the desk. "You don't seem like someone who'd enjoy weddings"

"Well, I wouldn't miss that for anything in the world"

Charlie grinned.

"And don't you need a date for this wedding?"

"My dear, I get your point, but unfortunately I already made a the plane reservation… and it's for only one person."

Charlie put on a pouted face.

"It's late, Charlie, go back to sleep" Haruka said.

"When are you leaving?"

"Next week" Haruka answered.

"For how long?" Charlie insisted.

" A week or so…"

"And won't you miss me?"

Haruka smiled amused and kissed Charlie on her forehead.

"Good night, Charlie" were her only words as she was going back to bed.

As she put herself in bed, Haruka asked herself again if Michiru would be at Usagi's the wedding. She closed her eyes and dreams from the time they were together came to her. Back then she didn't fear anything as long as she was with her. "_I can endure anything as long as you're with me… even the flames of hell."_ Michiru told her back then, but the hell didn't suit her, because her touch felt like heaven. _" I want to touch you_" were her last word. She was so warm… so beautiful and It pained her to much to know that this was the end.

_Michiru… _

At least she got to die holding her hand. That was more that she could have asked for…

"You know what , Haruka? I think that I want to go with you to the wedding…"

Haruka suddenly opened her eyes annoyed. Charlie was back on bed and she woke her up, vanishing her dream with her stupid questions. She tried to ignore her and she closed her eyes again, trying chase after Michiru's presence in her dreams.

"Stop that Haruka! I know that you are not sleeping!" Charlie insisted. "I said that I want you to take me to that wedding. And you know what? If you don't take me, you can say good-bye to our little love affair!"

Haruka opened her eyes again. This time she was really angry.

"_Fuck you_, Charlie and _fuck_ our love affair!" she hissed. "I was truly asleep and I was having the most wonderful dream!"

She took her pillow and the blanket and got off the bed.

"Why did you have to wake me up? Just put your head on the fucking pillow and get some sleep!"

Charlie looked at Haruka astonished, but before she could say something Haruka exited the bedroom slamming the door behind her.

In the living room put the blanket and the pillow on the couch but she remained on her feet in the middle of the room. Now she regretted the way she acted toward Charlie. After all, Charlie was a good girl. A little noisy and unmanned but a good girl… and wasn't she always acting nice toward this kind of girls? Haruka took her head in her palms. The last 6 years had changed her, turning her into a bad person. She didn't want to be like this… wanted to think that she was better than this.

She turned on her computer and searched on internet flights to Tokyo. Changing her reservation from one person to two persons will be her way of apologizing in front of Charlie. And after all, her lover was right. She needed a date for the wedding, because if Michiru was coming as well, she will bring her fiancé… and she wouldn't have stood the idea of being the only one left without partner.

She printed the tickets and silently stepped into the bedroom where she put the tickets on the bed next to the sleeping Charlie.

* * *

_**Next time we have some wedding preparations... and some one is getting back to japan. :) You want a soon update? Than review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**James Birdsong, Jo C, Alexia, Harumisummer, Venus5-Gryffindor, Guest, Eruebe thank you for your reveiwes.  
**_

_**Here you have a new chapter. Enjoy!**_

_**.**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**5. Not tonight, love**_

_**.**_

Haruka looked on the little window next to her and wondered how much this plane wills delay his taking off. Then he turned to Charlie who was reading with curiosity the brochure with emergency safety instructions.

"Charlie I want to talk to you before this place takes off because we have a long flight ahead and I intend to spend it sleeping." Haruka said.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked with her eyes lingering on the brochure.

"Charlie, listen to me, because it's important" Haruka insisted.

"Oh, important?" she said enthused and put aside the brochure. "Are going to propose to me?"

Haruka cocked an eyebrow.

"No, Charlie I'm not going to propose and even if I were, what I am going to tell you it's more important than a proposal."

"Oh, shit!" Charlie hissed disappointed. "So you're not going to propose…"

Haruka growled.

"See? That's exactly what I want to talk about. We are going to Japan, we'll no longer be in US so when we get to Tokyo I don't want to hear any words like "shit", "fuck" or "fucking", got it? And also, you will not start to hug and kiss people around because in general Japanese don't kiss and don't hug casually. When we arrive at the reception and we'll have to dance, don't start to jump around like the night we met at the club, alright? You will try to act more like… a lady. I know it's difficult for you, can you do that?"

Charlie put on a weary face.

"Japanese people don't sound fun to me…" she said disappointed.

"And they might not be, but Charlie you're a person who knows how to have fun in no matter what situation. You could have fun even in a fucking nazi concentration camp!"

"Oh! You said that I shouldn't use the 'f' word but you just did!" Charlie noticed with a girlish voice.

Haruka growled annoyed.

"You're nightmare, Charlie, did you know that?" Haruka said.

"Nope, I'm not!" she replied with a grin. "You're the nightmare… I'm just the person you like."

"Charlie, I like you breasts, not you…"

"Nope, you like me, as a person. That's what you told me last week." Charlie said cheerfully.

"No , I didn't!" Haruka replied annoyed.

"Yes, you did!"

"Uuuuh, fine, I did!" Haruka concluded with an exhausted air.

Charlie grinned and kissed Haruka's cheek.

"Don't worry! I like you too, Haruka!" she added.

The stewardess announced that the plane will take off in a few seconds and that all the passengers must put their seat belt on.

"Finally!" Haruka hissed and then she turned to Charlie. "I'm telling you once again, Charlie, so we won't repeat the last week's experience. I'm going to turn on my ipod , listen to some classical music and you'll wake me up when we're about to land, ok?"

"Classical music? That Kaioh Michiru, again?" Charlie asked.

"Got a problem with that?" Haruka replied as she put the headsets in her ears.

Charlie shrugged her shoulders and started to browse a magazine she had bought from the airport.

"I'll wake you up when the lunch comes." She said.

"No, Charlie, wake me up when we're in Tokyo!"

.

* * *

.

"So the black one or the grey one?" Damien asked, as he was in the shopping mall with Michiru. They were inside a men's store, trying for more than half an hour to choose between two tuxedos for the wedding they were both attending tomorrow.

"I like the black one, but apparently the grey one suit you better." Michiru answered.

"What if I try I smaller size for the black one, then?"

Michiru turned to store's employee and asked for a smaller size. As the employee left and Damien entered the fitting room to take off the grey suit, Michiru began to look for a tie that could match the black tuxedo.

"So will there be a lot of hishschool friends coming to this wedding?" He asked from the fitting room.

"I suppose so. Most of them will be acquaintances from the bride's hightschool" she answered.

"What if we'll burst into one of your hightschool ex boyfriends?" He asked.

"There won't be any boyfriend to burst into because I haven't got any boyfriends during highschool" she answered simply as she was looking at the articles of the store.

On those words, Damien pulled off his head from the fitting room with a confused expression:

"How come? Didn't you tell me that you had this special someone you've lived with your whole highschool and who left you one morning with no apparent reason?"

Michiru smiled and then she turned her gaze, noticing the store's employing approaching.

"Looks like your tuxedo's here…" she said and left him, heading to the ties and accessories sections. She chose a couple of ties and then she returned to the fitting room. "May I come in?" she asked.

"Of course" he replied.

"Well this fit you better. I think we are going to buy this one." she said as she looked at the elegant back tuxedo from his handsome fiancé. "I was thinking, would you like to choose a tie that matches my turquoise dress?"

He nodded and she approached him with one of the ties she early chose. She sat in front of him and began to nod it.

"I'm sure you used to nod your high school boyfriend's tie the same way…" he suddenly said.

Michiru cocked her eyebrow, slightly annoyed with his persistence on her highschool love life.

"As a matter a fact, I did…but as I told you there was no boyfriend during highschool" she replied with a dry voice.

He looked at her confused but she continued on nodding the tie.

"Here you go, you look perfect! I'll wait for you outside."

She exited the fitting room and gasped. Yes, she did nod hundreds of ties, during hundreds of early mornings in that small apartment they were sharing. It has been such a long time since then…

.

* * *

.

"Woaah! There's so many Asians here!" Charlie whispered as she gave her heavy luggage to Haruka.

"We are in Japan, what were you expecting to see, Africans?" Haruka replied with boredom, as she was heading to the exit gate, but then she suddenly stopped as she noticed a blonde and elegant woman waving cheerfully at her:

"Mom?" she said surprised.

The woman came quickly next to her and embraced her with all her strength.

"Oh, Haruka I missed you so much!"

"I thought that Japanese don't hug " Charlie suddenly said, but no one paid attention to her.

"Mom…there was no need to bother yourself and come all the way to the airport."

"What are you talking about? My only daughter comes home after six years and you were expecting me to just sit and wait at home?"

"But I was about to visit you later today, just after I would have made the check in the hotel."

"What hotel?!" that mother snapped. "You're not staying at any hotel! You're coming home with me!"

Haruka displayed a tangled smile.

"Mom… I'm afraid that's not possible because I didn't come alone" she and pointed at Charlie who didn't understand a word from what they were talking, but who waved her hand with a cheerful smile.

"Is she an American, Haruka?" the mother asked.

"Yeah, a nice typical one…"

The mother scanned the girl with a suspicious glare.

"She looks kind of fun… where did you find her?" she asked.

"In a…club" Haruka answered not proud of herself.

The mother started to laugh.

"I guess that explains everything. Anyway let's go , I'm sure that you find her a place to sleep in your old room."

Haruka gasped and follow the mother as she was heading to the parking lot.

"Hey… who is this woman?" Charlie asked intrigued as she approached her.

"Well _this woman _my mother, Charlie"

The brunette's eyes widened:

"Are you taking me to meet your parents? It seems to me Haruka that our relationship it's deeper than I thought."

Haruka rolled her eyes and put the luggage in the truck of her mother's Toyota.

"Mom, do you mind if I drive?"

"As you wish, Haruka" the mother replied and gave her the keys.

.

* * *

.

Michiru changed into her night dress and after she took a novel from the library she put herself in bed. After a couple of minutes later, Damien appeared wearing only a towel around his waist and before getting in bed he stopped in front of the closet looking at a hanging turquoise dress.

"Michiru, this one is really gorgeous…"

"Thank you" she replied politely as she kept reading.

He got in the bed, approaching her.

"You know…" he whispered. "In that dress I think you'll be more beautiful than the bride herself, no matter who she is."

"How unfair toward the bride…" Michiru replied absently.

"And I guess that I will be thinking the whole night of how to get that dress off you…" he added with a whisper as he approached her neck, but the moment she felt his breath on her skin she startled with rejection. He frowned confused.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Not tonight, love. I'm tired…" she replied with a low voice.

"Hmmm… Are you really?" he stated diffidently. "Because I think it's more than that… you've been acting strange ever since you heard about this wedding. Tell me Michiru, Is there something I should know about this wedding?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about…" Michiru replied.

"Michiru, don't play dumb with me!" Damien replied annoyed. "You're nervous about this wedding and I can see that clearly! So tell what's happening! Is the groom something like your ex boyfriend?"

Michiru put aside her book and turned to her fiancé intrigued:

"Certainly not, Damien! And I'm not acting strange! You are annoyed just because I don't want to have sex with you tonight!" she said harshly.

"Fine, Michiru! Have it your way!" he replied and put his head on the pillow, turning his back to her. "But think about it, in a couple of months we'll be married and if you are keeping things from each other we won't be able to make this marriage work!"

"Damien, marriage it's also based on trust! And if you don't trust me, than we should better don't have this wedding!" Michiru replied annoyed.

"Michiru, I'll go to sleep now and pretend I didn't hear your last words because I don't want to fight with you tonight!"

After that silent fell in their bedroom and Michiru remained with eyes wide opened. She suddenly felt like crying and it wasn't because of Damien. The idea of marriage and wedding scarred her. In a couple of months she'll be married with the man she chose… the only man she had ever wanted. The only problem was that more than a man, she wanted a woman.

Tears started to fall on her cheeks.

Tomorrow will go to a wedding and somewhere in the depths of her heart she hoped she will see Haruka there. She hoped, but she was scared of that moment.

She turned off the light and tried to get some sleep.

_Haruka…_

.

* * *

.

"What are you doing?" Haruka asked as she felt Charlie's hands underneath her pajamas.

"What does it look like to you?" Charlie replied with a playful voice.

"It's pretty obviously what you're doing, but not tonight, love..."

Charlie didn't listen and she put her hands again under Haruka's clothes.

"Stop that, Charlie! I'm not going to have sex with you in my parents' house!"

Charlie put on a pouted face and turned on her side of the bed.

"I didn't know that you were so conservative!"

"Just get some sleep, Charlie!" Haruka replied.

It wasn't that she was conservative. If Michiru would have been in Charlie's place she would have certainly not cared about being in her parent's house. In fact that was her problem in this moment. She thought of Michiru too much …

_Michiru…_

_._

* * *

_**As usual if you want to know what comes next, review! :)**  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_**James Birdsong, Alexia, Jay,Venus5-Gryffindor, Guest, Eruebe, Viento-cortante, nanicas, thank you for your reviews! :)  
**_

_**Here you have a new chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**6. The meeting**_

_**.**_

Damien fixed his tie in the mirror for the last time and he saw on its reflection Michiru standing behind him. He instantly turned to her with wide opened eyes. Her turquoise long dress made her look like a mermaid. He wasn't sure what she had done to her eyes or to her hair, but she looked like dream.

"Michiru, you certainly have surpassed yourself this time…" he whispered amazed.

She only gave him a delicate smile.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"Go ahead. I still have one more thing to do."

"Alright. I'll wait for you in the car."

Michiru returned to the bedroom, she opened the closed and she took out of there a wooden box. She opened it and took out of there her old transformation pen, along with the Haruka's. She looked for a couple of second at the last one and put it in her little purse. A couple of seconds later she took off her purse and put it back, closing the drawer.

After all, Haruka lived abroad. It was a high possibility she won't come to the wedding. And even if she was in Japan, she thought of not giving her pen today. This way she will have an excuse to see her again.

She looked once again into the mirror and then she exited the apartment. She took an extra effort to look good today. It was because in her heart she hoped that Haruka will be at the wedding.

.

* * *

.

"Why is it taking her so long? "We were supposed to leave 15 minutes ago!"" Haruka snapped annoyed as she was sitting at the kitchen table with her parents.

"Just calm down." The mother replied as she served her a sandwich.

"Mooom! I don't want to eat!" Haruka reposted.

"She's right! Let her be!" her father replied. "She's going to a wedding, I'm sure they will feed her there."

But the mother didn't reply, her gaze turned to the stairs where a gorgeous brunette made her appearance in a golden dress.

"Well your girlfriend certainly looks beautiful!" she said.

"She's NOT my girlfriend!" Haruka replied with boredom as she looked in Charlie's direction and made her a sign to hurry up.

"She's not?" the father intervened with a happy expression. "That means that you finally like men?"

Haruka rolled her eyes annoyed and took a bit of her sandwich.

"If she's not your girlfriend what is she, then?" the mother asked.

"A date, mom. Just a date!" Haruka concluded and she raised from her chair heading to Charlie. " What are you doing? We were supposed to leave 20 minutes ago! Hurry up and get in the car!"

.

* * *

.

Michiru arrived at the church and holding his fiancé's arms she entered the court yard where the guests were serving champagne and some aperitifs.

"Well, I haven't seen so many unknown faces in my whole life" Damien said.

"It's the same for me…" Michiru replied a little worried.

Damien turned to her a little surprised.

"But wasn't this a wedding of friends from your highschool?"

"Yes, but I can't see any of them…" Michiru said.

They both look around and saw people starring at them while whispering. Michiru frowned.

"Don't worry; they must have recognized us from tv…"

Michiru gasped and headed to a waitress to take a glass of Champaign but then she saw one blond girl dressed in an orange dress. She looked very nervous as she held with her right hand the loop of hair from top of her head.

"Minako?" Michiru asked hesitantly.

The girl turned and the moment she recognized her, she smiled cheerfully.

"Michiru-san! I'm so glad to see you! How long have been since we haven't seen? Five, six years?"

"I know it's been long. Unfortunately after I graduate, college and the violin had kept my life very busy." Then Michiru turned to Damien. "Minako, this is my fiancé, Damien"

"Nice to meet you!" Minako replied and then she made a weary face as she tried to put clips on her hair.

"Is everything alright?" Michiru asked.

MInako gasped.

"No, nothing is right…" she confessed sorrowfully. "I lost a pin hair and now my hair will look like a mess if I put my hand down."

Michiru approached and looked at her loop of hair.

"Well, maybe I can help you. I have something in my purse that could replace a hair pin, but for that I have to go to the car and get it."

"You're a savior, Michiru! Thank you very much!" Minako said while her eyes were sparkling with hope. "I'll wait for you in the chapel behind the church. Usagi and the other are there as well!"

"Wonderful! I'll see you there, while you Damien could wait for me inside the church."

"Once again, nice to meet you!" Minako added toward Damien.

"Same here!" Damien replied, but Minako already disappeared in the crowed. When he turned, Michiru was also gone. He looked around and found himself alone in a sea of strangers. He suddenly felt like he needed a drink.

.

* * *

.

"Charlie, slow down with the champagne!" Haruka said. "I don't want you to get drunk before the ceremony begins."

Charlie rolled her eyes and tossed off her drink.

"Can I smoke here?"

"We're in the court yard of a church so obviously you can't!"

Charlie gasped and put back the cigarette in the pocket.

"Charlie could you wait here for a couple of minutes?"

"Why?" she asked intrigued.

"Because I want to congratulate the bride before the wedding. She must be in the chapel so I'll go there." Haruka answered.

"And why can't I come?"

Haruka gasped with a tired expression.

"Because you can't speak Japanese and I'm not willing to stay there and translate every words I'll say."

Charlie rolled her eyes again.

"Fine… go! But don't stay long because I'll get bored here alone"

Haruka left and the moment she disappeared in the crowed, she retook the cigarette from pocket and lightened it. She looked around and as she didn't found anything interesting to do she decided to grab another glass of champagne. She approached the improvised bar, but then she noticed next to her a tall man with sandy hair and blue eyes. It was that French composer Damien Duchoix.

"I know you…" she said in English.

The man turned to her.

"It seems so, but I don't know you…" he replied in English.

"I guess that can be fixed" she added.

"I'm sure that will not be necessary. I didn't come alone here…"

"And what makes you think that I came alone?" she asked with slight laugh. " Anyway, enjoy the ceremony Mr…." but here she stopped, actuating the fact that she didn't know his name.

The man started to laugh.

"You say you know me but you don't even know my name…"

"I said that I know you because I've seen you once on tv, but that doesn't mean I recall the name of all the idiots I see on tv. Have a nice day, mister!"

And after she said that she grabbed her glass of champagne and walked away.

.

* * *

.

Haruka knocked on the chapel's door.

"Michiru-san, is that you?" a voice replied.

Haruka froze as she heard her name. Was she here? _Already?_

"No… it's Haruka…" she replied.

"HARUKA?!" a choir replied and the door was instantly opened by four girls that, Haruka immediately recognized as being Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako. As cheerful as usual, the girls appeared to be unchanged..

"Haruka you are as handsome as usual!" Rei said.

"Maybe more handsome!" Makoto added.

"You girls also look beautiful, as well! A bless for the eye, but where is the lucky bride?" Haruka asked with her charming voice.

The girls stepped aside and let Haruka enter the chapel and see the Usagi she well remembered. Short, with her bunny hairstyle and big blue eyes. The only difference was that today she was wearing a beautiful white dress. For a moment Haruka thought that in front of her was Neo Queen Serenity. She smiled.

"So you have decided to break my heart koneko-chan?" She began with her most charming voice. "You know if you want to change your mind there is still time, we can runaway together."

"Haruka, I wonder what Michiru will think if she will hear you talking like this" Usagi replied with a smile.

"By the way, Haruka. Have you seen Michiru?" Minako asked while holding her loop of hair with both of her hands.

Haruka froze. So she was truly here.

"I've seen her ten minutes ago and she said she will bring me a hair pin to fix the mess in my hair!"

"I…" Haruka began but her throat became dry.

"Well go and bring Michiru!" Minako added and pushed Haruka to the door. "The ceremony it's about to buguin and I can't go out like this."

"But I am the bride not you!" Usagi said with a crying voice. "The ceremony can began even if you're hair is ruined!"

"NO, it can't!" Minako snapped and the she turned to Haruka. "Go and bring Michiru!"

"Thank you for coming to the wedding, Haruka! Have a good time!" Usagi said as Minako kicked her out and closed the door.

Haruka remained in the hallway for a couple of minutes with her heart beating strongly, ready to burst out of her chest: "_Michiru is here!"_ Those were the only words that kept reapeting over and over again in her mind. Trying to pull herself together, she made her way back to the garden. She needed a drink… or two… or maybe even more.

.

* * *

.

Michiru took her purse from the car and hurried to the chapel, trying to avoid the crowd that was still starring at her. She knocked on the door and a voice immediately replied:

"Michiru-san is that you?"

"Yes, it is me."

The moment the door was opened she heard Usagi's specific crying.

"Michiru-san you look gorgeous!" Rei said amazed but Michiru looked confused at Usagi who was crying like a baby and Minako who was yelling at her.

"What happened?"

Rei rolled her eyes with boredom.

"She's making my wedding about her!" Usagi cried pointing at Minako. "She said that the wedding can't start unless her hair won't look nice!"

"Michiru-san!" Minako shouted and approached her. "Did you bring the hair pin?"

"You see?" Usagi continued crying. "She's making it all about her!"

Minako turned annoyed toward her and Usagi started to cry louder.

"Usagi-chan, stop crying. You'll ruin your make up!" Ami said with a gentle voice.

"Maybe we can solve this. I will fix Minako's hair and then we can pursue with the ceremony" Mirchiru said with a graceful smile as she pulled out of her purse a beautiful hair pin. As if that hair pin was some kind of a magic wand, Minako instantly stopped yelling and Usagi stopped crying.

"You're my savior, Michiru-san!"

"I guess with this you're this wedding's savior" Rei said sarcastically.

Minako sat on a chair and Michiru began to fix her hair.

"I'm so glad that you make it to mine and Mamo-chan's wedding" Usagi said when all her tears were dried off.

"Don't mention it, Usagi. I wouldn't missed for anything in the world"

"I guess that now it will our turn to come to your wedding" Minako added.

All the girls turned shocked to Michiru.

"You're getting married?" they asked in choir.

Michiru smiled tangled.

"Yep, I've just met her fiancé. He's extremely handsome!" Minako said.

"Fiancé?" Makoto said confused. "What about Haruka?"

Michiru's eyes widened.

"Makoto-chan!" Usagi intervened with a scolding voice. "Have you forgotten that Haruka is a woman?"

"Your hair is done, Minako!" Michiru suddenly said in order to change the topic. Minako looked amazed in the mirror behind her.

"Michiru-san, you're amazing! My hair looks better than the moment I left the beauty salon. Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it!" she said as she sat on a chair, putting aside her dress's trail. "I'm glad that I could be useful"

"I guess that now we can all move on with the ceremony." Rei said.

"Yes, we're already late" Ami added.

"Alright… I'll see you in the church then! Once again, congratulation for your wedding, Usagi!" Michiru said . She raised from the chair, but the next second she stopped as he her stocking hooked on one of the fine edges of the chair. She pulled it but then the stoking got ripped.

"Oh, my! What are you going to do know?" Minako said worried.

"There's no problem. I've have an extra pair with me. I just need to find a lady's room to change them."

"There's a toilet in the priest's house, behind the chapel" Rei said.

"I see, thank you. I'll go there! "

.

* * *

.

"Look who's getting drunk before the ceremony!" Charlie said as she watched Haruka having her four glass of champagne.

"Drop it, Charlie! You chose the worse moment to make fun" Haruka replied.

Charlie frowned worried.

"Are you alright, Haruka? Ever since you came back from the chapel you looked as if you had seen a ghost!"

"Maybe I have." Haruka replied, looking around as If she was looking for someone.

"Haruka, I'm serious! What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing! Really!" Haruka answered with a forced grin. " I just think that I need to go to the toilet. I had too much champagne. Wait for me at the church."

She left Charlie and she began to look for a toilet. After a couple researches she found out that the only available toilet was in the priests' house. There she annoyingly discovered that it was on one room toilet and it was occupied. She waited for a couple of minutes but as the person inside didn't give sings of leaving she knocked hard on the door.

"Could you hurry up, lady?" she snapped.

"Just a moment!" a melodious, lady like voice replied and Haruka's heart stopped.

One second later the door opened and Haruka saw in the threshold a beautiful woman with aquamarine eyes, dressed in a gorgeous turquoise dress.

"Michiru!" she hissed with a cracked voice.

"Haruka…" she replied astonished.

They stared at each other for a whole minute. Then for another minutes both of them waited for the other to say something. As Haruka didn't give any signs of getting her voice back, Michiru finally said:

"I…I must go…"

"Yes… of course…" Haruka replied still starring at her. "I mean… your fiancé… he must be waiting for you"

Michiru's eyes widened.

"How do you know that I am…" she whispered.

"News paper…" Haruka replied.

Michiru lowered her gaze, unable to add any other words.

"I guess I'll see you around…" Haruka finally said.

"Yes… of course" she replied and turned around leaving her corridor.

Haruka watched her leaving and when she remained alone she leaned against the wall and fell on the floor. She took her head on her palms and tried to control her hard breath.

"_She looked… gorgeous_" she whispered.

.

* * *

.

Michiru tried to walk away with slowly steps. She tried to keep her back straight so that Haruka won't suspect how fast her heart was beating, but the moment she exited the corridor she felt like she couldn't stand on her feet anymore.

Tears started to fall slowly on her chin.

"_She knows I'm getting married…"_ she whispered.

.

* * *

_** Wanna know what's next? Review and let me know!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**WhySoMadBro1, Lylian, AleWindT, Alexia, Eruebe, Keeper Aki, Guest, Jay, Viento-cortante, Venus5-Gryffindor thank you for your reviews! :)**_

_**New chapter's out! Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**7. Confrontation**_

.

"Are you alright?" Damien asked as he looked at his fiancé worried.

"Yes, I'm fine…" Michiru answered with a low voice.

"You don't look fine, Michiru" he insisted as he took her hand into his. "Are you sick or something?"

"Yes… a little. I feel like throwing up" She finally admitted, thinking that the suddenly meeting with Haruka turned her upside down. But on those words, Damien stopped in the threshold of the restaurant where the wedding reception was about to begin and his eyes widened in shock.

"Throwing up? Well that also explains your behavior for the last week. Michiru, tell me, are you pregnant?"

On those words she turned to him annoyed and broke away from his grip.

"Don't you even joke with that!" she hissed and went ahead by herself. He gasped and followed her to the round table reserved for them, but there he found Michiru standing in her feet with a troubled expression. She was starring at the names of the guests invited at that table.

"I can't do this…" she whispered.

Damien also approached and read the four names put the seats: Damien Duchoix, Kaioh Michiru, Charlie Wilkes and Haruka Tenoh.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I just can't do this!" she repeated worried.

He frowned confused.

"Do you want to go home?"

Michiru didn't reply. She just sat on her seat.

"At least, do you want me to bring you some water… or something?"

"No" she replied with her eyes fixed on the silhouette that was approaching their table.

"Oh my…" Damien said. "Isn't that that woman racer?"

Michiru didn't reply. She just took a deep breath as if she was preparing herself for a big confrontation.

"Good afternoon. I'm Haruka Tenoh" Said Haruka.

"Good afternoon. I'm Damien Duchoix." replied Damien raising from the table to shake hands, but Haruka ignored him, turning instead to Michiru:

"Are you alright, Michiru?" she asked.

Michiru suddenly raised her chin with a forced polite smile and Damien looked at them confused:

"Do you know each other?" he asked.

"As a matter a fact, we do." Haruka replied.

Michiru's eyes widened, worried by what Haruka could say about their relationship.

"We were colleagues in highschool" Haruka added.

Damien turned then to MIchiru with an enlightened expression.

"So that's why you were always watching her races! You two were friends actually!"

Michiru's face suddenly turned red.

"Is that right, Michiru? You were watching my races?" Haruka asked with a smirk.

"Rarely…when I had the time." Michiru said trying to seem casually.

"Rarely?" Damien intervened. "She's joking. My dear fiancée had been killing all my weekends with the sports channel. Trust me! She haven't missed any or your races."

MIchiru gasped annoyed, while Haruka displayed a cocky smile and sat at the table. A few moments later a brunette dressed in a golden dress approached the table, making a big and noisy entrance:

"There you were! I really got lost in this huge restaurant! Why are you always so mean and leave me behind? Uuh, Haruka! I thought you were a gentleman!" she begun to speak in English but then she stopped as she recognized the couple in front of her. It was the French composer she had been hitting on earlier and next to him there was…

"Oh my God!" she hissed. " You're Kaioh Michiru!"

Michiru tried to smile politely:

"I can't believe that I'm able to meet you here!" Charlie added with the voice of a crazy fan.

Haruka rolled her eyes annoyed and made a sigh to Charlie to sit down at the table.

"Everyone, this is Charlie Wilkes!" Haruka said in English, since she was sure that everyone at the table understood that language. "Charlie, this is Kaioh Michiru and her fiancé…"

"Damien Duchoix." Completed Charlie. "We already had the pleasure of meeting"

Damien looked at her surprised.

"I thought you didn't recall my name" he said.

"I guess I suddenly remembered it" Charlie replied with a playful voice. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you! I'm so glad that I'm sitting at a table with people who can understand English…It's so hard to get along with the others when i don't know a word in Japanese"

"You're damned right here, Charlie! I remember how hard it was for me when I first came in Japan. I didn't even know how to ask where the toilets were!"

Both Charlie and Damien began to laugh, while Haruka and Michiru kept their straight faces, since none of them found Damien's words amusing.

"By the way, Miss Kaioh, did you know that Haruka is a huge of yours?" Charlie suddenly said.

"Charlie, please…" Haruka tried to stop her.

"Is that so?" Michiru asked curiously.

"Trust me! She listens to your music all the time. Even during the flight to Tokyo she had your songs on repeat. Imagine 7 hours of violin. She must really admire you work!"

MIchiru turned to Haruka piercing her with her aquamarine eyes.

"That's rather unexpected, Haruka-_san_! But I appreciate it" she said.

Haruka displayed a short polite smile and then she mentally sighed relieved as she the waitress brought the food. At least for a while she won't be compelled to force a conversation.

"So, Miss Kaioh, are you here to perform tonight? For the grooms I mean…" Charlie asked.

"Fortunately, i'm just a guest at this wedding. Just like Haruka-_san _ I was close the grooms in highschool."

Michiru's last affirmation left Charlie a little confused.

"Actually, Charlie, we were just talking, before you arrived, about Michiru and Haruka being colleagues during highschool." Damien explained.

"So you know each other…" Chiarlie whispered as she pointed at Haruka and Michiru with her index finger. She looked dazzled with the air of a person who had just discovered the earth is round.

"Yes, Charlie, we know each other" Haruka confirmed as she was slicing the food in her in her plate. "As a matter a fact I could say that we used to be very close."

"Haruka, I don't think it's necessary!" Michiru cut in using Japanese with a sharp voice.

Haruka only smiled as she pretended to pay attention at her food.

"Why's that, Michiru?" Daminen intervened in English. "Let Haruka talk, actually I'm curious about the person you were in highschool."

"I'm sure there's nothing interesting to find out." Michiru insisted with a stiffed air.

"I wouldn't say so" Haruka replied. "Actually I can already think of a couple of interesting stories… like the time when we pulled over pretending to have the car broke. Do you remember, Michiru? We opened the truck and put bags on the window so people won't know what we were doing inside…"

"Haruka!" Michiru snapped menacingly.

"And what were you doing?" Damien asked half curious, half worried, while he ignored Michiru's reaction.

Haruka looked into Michiru's angered eyes for a second and then she turned to Daminen with one million yens smile:

"We were smoking weed."

Damien instantly started to laugh and turned to Michiru surprised:

"I would have never thought that you were that kind of girl back in highshool."

Michiru displayed a forced grin.

"Actually she wasn't… until she met me, of course." Haruka added. :She was a very beautiful and talented girl, but she was clueless when it came to people. I though her all she needed to know about men."

"You did that?" Damien asked with a diffidently smile."I thought you needed to be a little more girlish in order to get closer to man and learn their ways."

"I guess not being girlish entitles me to know more about men, Damien" Haurka replied with a forced grin.

It was set. For Damien the woman dressed in a tuxedo was a lesbian. Moreover a lesbian that was making his fiancée uncomfortable. He turned a second to Michiru who had lowered her gaze into her plate and he asked himself what on earth made her, at some point, be friend with the drag queen from across the table.

"Michiru was a loner wolf during highshool, spending her time practicing her violin or painting. I guess that after she met she got in touch with her wild side." Haruka continued.

"Wild side? Is that so?" Michiru suddenly innerved maliciously. "Now are you calling yourself my savior?"

"I wasn't actually a prince charming on a white horse… but I guess I got what I took free your spirit" Haruka replied confidently.

Michiru laughed. Damien's eyes widened

"I'm sorry to inform you Haruka, but you didn't, because I'm no longer the person you remember .You think to high of yourself" She replied sharply.

"But _my dear friend_, we weren't talking here about the present. Were taking about highschool… and back on then weren't you the one who was spying on me, the one who wanted so badly to ride in my car?"

Meanwhile, both Charlie and Daminen began to worry about the tensed atmosphere between the so called "highschool friends". Michiru widened her eye intrigued, but then a deep frown appeared on her forehead: if Haruka was planning to be cocky about their past together in front of her fiancé, she will pay her back the same coin.

"M_y dear friend_, I am no longer that person" she replied icily. "But as you insist on this matter I'm surprised you don't remember how jealous were you becoming every time a boy was approaching me… as for the ridings in your car part, you forgot to mention how much you were insisting on driving me home every night after we became friends"

"Of course, I remember" Haruka answered while looking at the champagne in her glass." …And I also remember that I dropped the "driving home" hobby the moment you started to put pressure on me into moving with you."

" I pressured you to move in with me?! I pressured you? You got amnesia or what? Didn't you agree from the beginning? And moreover you had that stupid and goofy smile upon your face? " Michiru snapped astonished.

"You two lived together?" Damien intervened puzzled.

Haruka and Michiru suddenly turned to blue eyed man. Caught in their argue that was slowly turning into a fight, the two woman forgot for e couple of seconds that they were not alone at the table.

"Yes, we lived together for merely years." Haruka finally said to Damien on a calm voice. "But I'm surprised that she didn't tell you about this, since you are her fiancé."

Damien frowned.

"Actually, she told me…" he said as he turned to Michiru with serious, darkened glare that Michiru's eyes widened worried. She knew that glare very well and it meant "_we are discussing this at home_". She turned to her plate and tried to finish her food even though she had no idea what she was chewing and her appetite was already lost. On his turn, Damien bit his lips and tossed of the glass of champagne in front of him. In his mind things were slowly starting to make sense. Michiru did tell him that she had a heartbreaking first love experience and it was someone she had lived with during highschool. Now he noticed that she never mentioned if that person was a man. Moreover, yesterday when she was fixing his tie, she kept saying that she had no boyfriend during highschool. That was because she had a… girlfriend instead! He starred at Haruka as he emptied his glass of champagne, but he remained silent as statue. He didn't want to create _" I'm about to marry a lesbian_" scene in the middle of a wedding reception. He made a sight to the waitress and asked for another glass of champagne.

"I hope the smoke doesn't bother you…" Charlie said as she lightened a cigarette. Nobody answered and herself, she asked for another glass of champagne. The atmosphere at the table was slowly becoming pretty tense so she tried to force a conversation: "So, Miss Kaioh, since you know Haruka pretty well, could you tell us how was she as teenager?"

Michiru raised her gaze from her place with an icy look:

"She was a Casanova… the gay version!" she replied with a voice as cold as her eyes.

"Michiru, you're making it sound so bad!" Haruka intervened. "You didn't seem to mind it while you were in highschool"

Michiru suddenly slammed her fork and her knife on the table. Damien pretended to not notice her, while Charlie looked at her as if she was some kind of a weird creature.

"Well I don't know what happened between the two of you, but obviously it's bad" Charlie stated as she pointed at Haruka and Michiru. "Maybe we should let the two of talk a little." Then she turned to Damien: "Anyway, I'm in a mood for a dance…"

Damien looked back at Charlie, confused, not sure of what she meat with those words.

"Well you heard the lady, Damien. She wants to dance." Haruka said.

Damien displayed a cocky smirk.

"But wasn't she supposed to dance with her date?"

"Unfortunately, Charlie prefers a man's lead for a waltz…" Haruka said and before Damien refused her politely, Charilie raised from the table heading to the dance floor.

Damien looked at his fiancé, asking for her opinion:

"Well, go now!" She answered slightly irritated by the situation in which Haruka Charlie had put her.

Damien sighed and serious lack of enthusiasm he followed Charlie. The moment Haruka and Michiru remained alone at the table a deep silence fell between them. Michiru drinker her glass of champagne and then asked for another one.

"How long are you going to ignore me?" Haruka suddenly asked breaking the silence.

Michiru cocked an eyebrow but she didn't answer.

"I see… so you're not going to talk to me… I guess that even after six years you're still mad at me" Haruka added.

Michiru gasped.

"Haurka it's been only half an hour since I've saw you and you already drove me nuts!" Michiru said through her teeth. "You have been rude to me, to my fiancé and you even compelled your date to dance with him"

"So now you're jealous?" she asked maliciously.

"I'm not jealous, Haruka… but what you and your girlfriend have done it's not polite!"

"Don't worry, Charlie may look like threat but she's quite inoffensive, trust me on this one. She's just a kid looking to get some money and have fun while doing that. She's not the type to hit on married men… at least I hope so…" Haruka added.

Michiru didn't answer and after a couple of seconds Haruka suddenly asked:

"Do you love him?"

Michiru clinched her fingertips on the glass of champagne.

"Haruka, you're being rude again!" she warned.

"Am i?... Do you find it shameful to admit your feelings for the man you are about to spend the rest of your life with?"

Michiru put the glass down and looked to the dance floor where Damien and Charlie actually seemed to have a good time.

"It's not shameful for me to admit… it's shameful for you to ask because the answer it's obvious"

"Well it's not that obvious to me…" Haruka insisted.

"I love him, Haruka. Otherwise I wouldn't be marrying him the next spring!" she answered coldly and emotionless.

Haruka's eyes widened. The confidence in Michiru's voice was awkward for her. That confidence ached her. She tried to look into those aquamarine eyes, but Michiru avoied the eye contact.

"But on the other hand you have been very rude to both of us!" Michiru added. "You just can't sit at a table and start to talk about how I was chasing you during highschool and how close we were while my future husband is present! You're putting me in an embarrassing situation in front of him!"

"_**Well, fuck your husband, Michiru**_!" Haruka snapped cutting all the acting and revealing her true feelings.

On those words Michiru slammed her napkin over her plate and got up from the table:

"_I don't know who are you, missy!"_ she hissed looking into Haruka's eyes. "_But if you came here wearing the mask of the the person I used to love with all my heart In order to impress me, you've done it wrong! Because that person was gentlemen while you… you are just a_ _**bitch!**_"

And after she said that she left the table, heading to the garden with rush steps. Haruka kept watching her leaving, calm and compose, until Damien and Charlie returned.

"Where Is Michiru?" he asked.

Haruka slowly turned her gaze to him.

"She went outside… I believe I pissed her off" she said calmly.

Damien's face darkened.

"What did you tell her?" he hissed.

Haruka's eye widened surprised.

" I don't care about what you had with her in the past… I don't even want to know, because obviously she had moved on! She is an engaged woman! Engaged to me!" he snapped.

Haruka cocked an eyebrow, but the men suddenly exited the hall, going after Michiru. Haruka leaned on her seat and took a cigarette from Charlie's pack.

"What did he tell you?" Charlie asked since she could understand Japanese.

Haruka didn't answer.

"Haruka…" Charlie insisted with a strange voice. "Did you bring me here so I would come between Kaioh and her fiancé?"

Haruka suddenly turned to her, but she didn't say a thing.

"I'm sure you did, but you must know that is useless… those two are in love."

"I know…" was all that Haruka said.

"Then what is your plan?"

She didn't answer.

"Haruka… I know you very well…you must have a plan…"

A strange smile appeared on the blonde's lips.

* * *

.

_**You wish for a new chapter? Leave me a review then :D**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives...**_

_**.**_

_**Viento-cortante, Jay, Ami, Keeper Aki, Conan97, Alexia, Venus5-Gryffindor, Guest thank you for the reviews! :) I'm surprised that most of you liked Damien.**_

_**Enjoy new chapter!**_

_**.**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**8. Battle field**_

Half an hour later Haruka saw Michiru and her fiancé returning from the terrace. Michiru had a stiffed air. She noticed Damien whispering something in her ear, but whatever he had told her she disagree with it. After that Damien approached the table, while Michiru headed to the bar. Before he sat at the table, Damien took care to give Haruka a deadly glare which she replied with a bored weary face. She wished she could tell him that he's just an ignorant character who will never be able to understand the connection he has with his fiancé and therefore none of his attempts of intimidating her will have an effect. She wished she could tell him how much he depended on her because if he will ever marry Michiru, it will be because she approved the union, but of course, she kept all these opinions for herself because she didn't want to create more awkward moments than she already did.

"Oh, the grooms are approaching us…" Charlie said as she light off her cigarette in one of the champagne glasses.

"I hope you are enjoying yourselves" Mamoru said as he held one arm over Usagi's waist.

"You have no idea how much!" Haruka replied and from across the table Damien noticed the sarcasm in her voice. "Congratulations once again! Wonderful reception!"

"Thank you very much! We are glad that you were able to make it! Usagi and I understand that you must be very busy with the season coming up"

Haruka smiled politely.

"Haruka-san, but where is Michiru?" Usagi intervened.

"She remained at the bar…" Damien answered in Haruka's place.

Usagi turned and tried to spot her in the crowd.

"Should I go and look for her?" Usagi asked a little concerned.

"Well I don't know Usako. I already told you… Michiru was invited as a guest and…"

"Is there something wrong regarding Michiru?" both Haruka and Damien asked at the same time.

Usagi's face turned red, as she displayed a wide but bashful smile.

"Actually I wanted to ask her to play the violin for us…"

Haruka cocked her eyebrows surprised.

"Well I don't think she will be able to play in this moment…" Damien tried to excuse his fiancée with a politely smile.

Mamoru and Usagi looked confused.

"What Damien is trying to say is that Michiru had a couple of drinks. Too many actually" Haruka intervened.

"Could you take a five minutes break from being so rude?" Damien pointed annoyed.

Haruka shrugged her shoulders displaying a slight laugh. Charlie looked confused at everybody as she didn't understand a word from what they were saying, while Usagi and Mamoru were beginning to wonder if putting Haruka and Michiru's fiancé at the same table was a good idea.

"But since Michiru is not available, if you would like I could play one of Michiru's favorite compositions" Damien added.

"You can play the violin, too?" Usagi asked surprised.

"Among other instruments." Damien replied with a charming smile.

"In that case, it would be more than a pleasure to listen to your violin, sir" Mamoru concluded.

Damien got up and followed the couple who led him to the orchestra. When the violin begun to play, Haruka rolled her eyes and since her in her glass a cigarette was floating, she took Charlie's and tossed it off. She had to admit: that ridiculous buffoon of fiancé had talent with the violin.

Her eyes started to look for Michiru in the crowd. She was so beautiful…

"Haruka… Isn't this that tango I listened to, back to your apartment?" Charlie asked.

She was so beautiful and lonely at the same time. He had closed herself in her little world, where no could reach her and understand her music.

"Haruka?..."

But when Charlie turned her eyes, Haruka was no longer by her side. She was crossing the dance floor, heading to the bar,heading to Michiru.

Michiru noticed her, but she chose to ignore her while she was pretending to fix herself a cocktail. From the other side of the bar Haruka pretended to do the same thing. They took a step, then another… and another, but the long table came to an end and in a few moments they were standing in front of each other. Haruka was trying to read beyond the silence. Michiru was trying to turn herself into a icy stone. Then both of them turned their eyes to the stage where Damien was performing what seemed to be a tango.

"My favorite…" Haruka said.

Michiru closed her eyes and as she held tighter her glass. She closed her eyes and recognized the music. It was her own composition.

"Wrong, Haruka, this it's my favorite…" she whispered.

"It that so?" Haruka replied and she suddenly grabbed Michiru's wrist. Surprised she dropped her glass on the floor, but even if she heard it breaking in dozens of pieces, she didn't looked behind. She followed Haruka to the dance floor.

Haruka grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. She led her into that tango and Michiru answered her lead with passionate movements. Haruka wondered how many times she imagined this dance back in the loneliness of her apartment. Michiru asked herself why Haruka was such a good dancer. But was it all about the music? She pierced Haruka's eyes with an angry look, but more than angriness it was lust and frustration in her deep sea eyes. She knew, she couldn't escape Haruka's lead, unless she will free her.

"Stop it!" she demanded coldly, but Haruka pulled her closer.

"I will stop when your body will stop answer to my touch. When that day will come, I promise I will stop!"

"Then stop it already!" Michiru snapped hurtfully.

"It's you who should stop lying to yourself. Just give in… It's a dance, nothing more…"

"Nothing more?! Who are you trying to fool?"

"The same person you are trying to fool: yourself" Haruka replied calmly and pushed her in pirouette. "But apparently neither of us is good at it…" she added when she pulled her back and her hand started to climb from her hips to her waist until slowly it reached her breast. The moment she felt her touch, Michiru coldly pushed away, but Haruka grabbed her and pulled her back. This time they were so close that they could feel each other's breath. It was dazzling. For a moment Haruka thought that she will loose her temper and kiss her, but fortunately she controlled herself and continued the dance… the fight… the confrontation.

Indeed, this was no ordinary dance. Everyone who was watching them from outside was seeing nothing more than an extremely talented couple. But the two women knew that they were in the middle of a battle field. Every time Michiru was trying to escape, Haruka was finding the most charming ways of trapping her back in her arms. Every time Haruka was attempting to cross the line, Michiru was switching the steps, confusing Haruka. But apparently no matter how many times Michiru tried to ruin the dance, she couldn't succeed. The truth hidden in the darkest corners of their hearts was that they missed each other like crazy and that they wished they would have never been separated.

"You left!... You left me!" Michiru hissed with hate and pain at the same time.

But Haruka's only answer was a stronger grip on her body.

"Why did you left me?" she snapped reproachfully.

Again, Haruka tried to avoid an answer, along with her eyes.

"Look into my eyes Haruka! And tell me why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to you to live your life, while following your own dreams!" she snapped back angrily.

"Is this how little you knew about my dreams, Haruka?" she asked displeased.

"Don't try to argue me!" she hissed as Michiru was leaning on her back and while on her turn she was leaning over her décolletage. "You were eighteen back then, you couldn't possible submit yourself to lifetime commitment with me without even tasting the life!"

Michiru straightened and Haruka lift her in her arms.

"You can hate me, but you needed this…you needed your music, you needed to enjoy your life, you even needed to meet men! You needed them all and I let you have them!"

"And did it worth?" she asked hatefully.

"It did" Haruka replied coldly as she lift her left leg over her hip.

"Liar!" Michiru stated. "It didn't worth, otherwise you wouldn't be here"

Haruka didn't reply. She just smiled ironically.

"Just admit it! You're here because you knew I was coming!" Michiru insisted.

"And aren't you here because of the same reason?"

Michiru arrogantly turned her gaze away, but the moment she stretched her neck Haruka leaned over it and as her lips were touching it, slowly climbing to her left ear, she whispered:

"It was worthing because I could see you becoming a successful woman, but trust me Michiru, for my own benefit, , it was the worst business I've ever made."

Michiru's eyes widened and for a second she felt like crying. She wondered how many years she waited to hear those words. She even asked herself if she should forgive her, but then during one of Haruka's pirouette's she caught Damien while he was playing the violin. What an irony! He was playing the music she had composed for Haruka. And he was playing it so passionately… as if he was inviting her to throw herself in Haruka's arms. She finally turned to Haruka's green eyes.

"Worst business you've ever made?" she said. "It might be so, but you should stick to it because it's you the one who chose it!"

"And what are you going to if I won't stick to it?" Haruka asked.

"I couldn't care less about your business Haruka, because they won't interfere with mine's. No matter what your regrets are and will be, in a few months I'll be a married woman!" Michiru replied and thinking that these last words will shut Haruka up, she freed herself from her grip and while flipping the long trail of her dress, she turned prepared to leave the dance floor.

One step… two steps… three steps.

And like storm, Haruka pounced over her stepping on the long trail of the turquoise dress. Michiru's eyes widened angry. She tried to pull her dress, but Haruka didn't take her foot from it. Michiru pulled again, but this time it ripped. This time Haruka ripped it herself. She ruined the turquoise dress and revealed Michiru's long legs: the right one up until the knee, the left on up until the hip.

The whole audience froze, starring at the two of them. Charlie dropped the cigarette from her mouth, Usagi got up to intervene between the two, but Mamoru stopped her. This time even Damien noticed the scene and for a moment, as his heart skipped a beat, he stopped playing the violin. Everybody was waiting for something to happen so they freed the dance floor. Michiru's heart was beating strongly and while everybody was wondering if she will slap Haruka, the music suddenly began. Damien retook the violin and in order to see how far this scene could go, he started to play again, this time more passionately. The music went on fire, yelling from pain and pleasure!

Haruka throw the ripped turquoise material, but before she could take a step toward Michiru, the aquamarine girl threw herself in her arms in a desperate attempt to lose all her reason. She put her naked leg around Haruka's hip and the blonde lift her in pirouette.

"This is madness!" she hissed.

"Indeed, you getting married is madness!" Haruka replied.

"Don't bring Damien into this!" she warned.

" I won't but you have to know that this wedding won't take place unless I agree with it!"

Michiru's eyes widened with deadly sparkle.

"Don't try to menace me! I won't let you marry him unless I am sure you love him!"

"But I do love him!" she replied instantly.

"Until I'm sure you love only him, I mean!" Haruka added and pulled her close, as her hands were wandering on her body. "Prove to me the love you have for him and I will let you go!"

"Don't play with fire, Haruka!" Michiru said as she tried to keep her mind cool and ignore her touches.

"No, Michiru… you're the one playing with fire, because you keep that ring on your finger, while I feel you body trembling in my arms"

Michiru took a deep breath and bit her lips.

"You see? You don't even try to deny it!" Haruka insisted.

"But I'm not admitting either!" she snapped.

Haruka descended her hand to her hips.

"What about now?"

"Haruka stop it!" she snapped.

"Say that you don't like it and I will stop."

"Haruka, I will marry Damien! Don't try to make me change my mind!" she said confidently.

"I'm not trying to make you change your mind. I'm just trying to find out if you're making the right choice by marrying him"

"I love him!" she stated.

"How much?" Haruka asked as she leaned her lips over her naked shoulder. "Tell me how much? As much as you loved me?"

"It cannot be compared!" she answered as her skin turned to goose bumps.

"Indeed, you will never love anyone the way you loved me" Haruka stated.

"As I will never love anyone the way I love him!" she insisted.

"So you do finally admit that you loved me, too."

Michiru gasped and lift her shoulder in order to push away Haruka's lips.

"Please, stop tormenting me!

"Do you still love me?" Haruka insisted, ignoring her begging.

"That I won't answer!" she snapped almost scared.

"Then you still love me!"

"I didn't say that!" she defended herself.

"Then say you don't!"

Michiru opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead her eyes were filled with tears.

"Michiru, the music is about to end and I need an answer before that!"

The aquamarine girl shook her head with a tormented expression. She turned her gaze and saw Damien starring at her while he was playing. She felt his eyes fixed on her as if he was waiting for her to do something wrong. Then she noticed that the dance floor was empty and everybody was on the edge watching her and Haruka's performance.

"Haruka, please…Let me go…" she begged.

"Tell me that you don't love me anymore and I will" she replied softly.

"In that case, i hate you!" Michiru suddenly snapped with frustration, but contrary to her words, her feet were still following Haruka's lead.

"Just say it!" Haruka shouted.

"I can't!"

"SAY IT!"

Michiru startled as tears were falling on her cheeks.

"If you won't say it then I will find out by myself!" Haruka stated.

Michiru shook her head negatively as Haruka was leaning over her. She felt again Damien's glare on her and she heard the music growing wild on the last notes. Damien was preparing the grand final and so was Haruka:

"Don't do this to me…I love him" she begged.

"Do you?" Haruka whispered with her lips over hers.

Michiru closed her eyes and remembered the first time Haruka kissed her. She remembered her casual and cocky grin. She remembered their school uniform and the apartment they used to live in… She remembered Sailor Uranus and then she suddenly remembered Damien.

She felt Haruka's lips almost touching her so she opened her eyes:

"Forgive me…." she whispered and then she added: "…Haruka!"

She pushed her and raising her hand she slapped her over the face.

The music ended! Everybody started to applauded but Haruka and Michiru remained still in the middle of the dance floor, both of them shocked.

"You do love him…. Now I know it… you truly do…" Haruka mumbled.

Michiru didn't say anything. She just turned and exited the room while she was trying to hide her tears. One moment later Damien descended the stage and hurried in her direction, but when he passed in front of Haruka, he stopped for a second and hissed:

"I hope this was enough for you to understand where her heart lies! I played along this game so I will point you the obvious: we are getting married on spring so if I'll ever see you tormenting her with your perverseness, I'll break your legs!"

Haruka looked at him with wide opened eyes, but she was unable to reply. Michiru's rejection left her in a state of shock. She was still feeling the trace of her palm burning on her cheek so the only thing she could think of was _"I should have never left her_". That thought was coming repeatedly in her mind and she couldn't even hear the crowd of guests who were still applauding, thinking that this entire scene was a set up.

"Usagi…" Rei whispered as leaned over her friend's ear. " This wasn't part of the show…"

"No, it wasn't…" Usagi replied worried.

.

.

* * *

.

_**Want to know what's next? Let me a review then! :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives...**_

_**.**_

_**Ami, Jay, Kaioutenjou, haruanto, Keeper Aki, AleWindT, Viento-cortante, Alexia, Sailor Nimnard thank you for your reviews. I would like to add that despite all the appearances, this is Haruka and Michiru (love) story. As for the fast updates... hmm i would say what i always say : " the more you review that faster i update". :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**.**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**9. What killed her**_

_**.**_

Haruka approached the terrace where Michiru had left, but when she reached the threshold she stopped with a dazzled expression. When she was near her she felt like iron filings in front of a magneto. She was a fighter, but she couldn't find her own feelings. She needed to let her go, but she didn't have the strength to do that.

" So that was your big plan?" a voice came from her right.

She turned and saw, a gorgeous brunette holding on a glass of whiskey as she stood against the threshold with a lazy, drunken air.

"To push her to her limits so she would admit her feelings?" the brunette added and let out a slight laugh. "You wanted her to be able to say out loud that she loves her man and that she had moved on, while in the depths of your heart you were hoping for her to come back to you. That's just so…"

"Shut up, Charlie!" Haruka snapped.

"…Lame!" Charlie concluded untroubled by Haruka's bad mood. "But either way, Miss Kaioh si quite something. She called you a 'bitch' and moreover she slapped you in front of the audience. Apparently, my dear, you have found your match. It's a pity though, that she's getting married…"

"Charlie, drop it! You're drunk already!"

The brunette raised her eyebrows fakely surprised.

"My love, I might be drunk, but I'm not stupid!" she replied with a phony sugary voice. "And right now I have the impression that you're playing me as a fool!"

Haruka turned to her displeased, willing to take the glass from her hand, but instead she said:

"Grab your things, we're leaving."

Charlie smiled amused.

"My love, if you want to leave you're free to do it, but do not expect me to come with you after all that happened today. If you want some company go and call Miss Kaioh because I'm done with you!"

Haruka looked at her with her poker face.

"I really hope that Kaioh will see the end of you because I've had enough of your rudeness and selfishness, Haruka!" Charlie added with disgust and tossing off her drink she left, returning to her table.

Haruka tried to watch her leaving. She tried to understand that she just got dumped. She even tried to play affected the cold words Charlie told her, but all she could think of was her aching cheek. The palm she received from Michiru still hurt.

.

* * *

.

The semaphore turned red so Damien stopped the car. He looked on his left and saw that Michiru was still caught on her own thoughts with her eyes fixed on the window. He wished he could tell her something but he didn't know with what to begin. He waited for her to make the first step but he knew her very well and she was not going to say anything until they get home. Moreover when they will be at home she will probably bring the classic excuse '_I'm tired, let's deal with this in the morning'_ and of course, in the morning they will act as nothing had happened.

The semaphore turned red and he stepped on the acceleration. He was driving slowly and carefully, even though in his inner self he was burning with angriness. He was doing that because he didn't want to expose himself. He was doing that because that was who he was. He had always been a safe driver, not a fool, performing a show on the wheels. She had never told him, but he knew that she didn't like it, since every time he was stepping the acceleration more than usual a slight smile was appearing on her lips. She looked as if the speed was brining her back beautiful memories. Now he finally understood why… _Haruka Tenoh, the prodigy woman racer_. It was so obvious! How could have he been so stupid?

Michiru let out a slight sight that, on the silence of the car, it sounded amplified. The turned to her for a second, he looked at the ripped dress, but again no word came out.

Now he had the impression that he didn't know the woman he was about to marry. Michiru, in love with a woman! Michiru sharing with a woman something that he will never reach or understand! Was she still in love with her? He had seen the way she danced with her and he barely recognized her: Passionate, wild, mad with desire. Where was the elegant lady with the coldness and distance of an aristocrat? He could have stopped that dance. He only needed to stop playing the violin, but he didn't. He wanted to know how far things could have gone between those two. He wanted to see if Michiru would give in to what she once loved or if she had truly moved on, her heart laying by his side. Michiru had slapped her in the end. She had rejected her, indeed, but the moment he found her on the terrace she was crying like teenager who just got dumped by her first love.

So who was the one Michiru truly loved?

He stopped the car in front of the building they were living. They got off silently, and took the elevator to their expensive and luxurious penthouse. He let her take off her jewelries and to undo her hair, but then he came to the bathroom and he stopped on the threshold with a categorical and grave expression:

"You will tell me everything."

She turned to him slightly surprised.

"NOW!" he added coldly.

Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she turned to the mirror continuing on taking off her makeup.

"Michiru, I know you very well and ignoring me won't work this time. You will tell me everything tonight!"

She slammed the cleaning lotion on the sink and turned to him annoyed.

"She is the so called boyfriend you have lived for two years?" he asked coldly ignoring her reaction.

"I never said there was a boyfriend!" she snapped back.

"So it is her, indeed!" he pointed annoyed.

"And what if she is, what difference does it make? It all ended six years ago!"

He cocked his eyebrows.

"Has is ended for real?"

Her eyes widened, but she didn't' say anything.

"You mentioned before that this great first love you dumped you but you never said why and moreover you never said that you got over it!" he insisted.

She lowered her gaze taking a deep breath in order to calm herself.

"Why did she dump you?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about this…" she said with a low voice.

"But you will!" he insisted.

"NO!" she snapped. "It's part of my past so it doesn't matter anymore!"

"That's what you think, Michiru! But as long as you came home with your dress ripped and with your eyes red from crying because of her I believe it matters!"

"But it doesn't…" she said almost crying. "In a couple of days she will go back to America and I won't see her again. Moreover I will be married to you and…"

He frowned.

"You're unbelievable!" he hissed with an angry and hurt voice. "You're crying because she's leaving!"

She didn't answer.

"And you're marrying me because I'm your plan B. It didn't work with her so you're staying with me! You're not marrying me because you truly love me! You're marrying me because you couldn't marry _that… that Haruka Tenoh_!" he continued, pointing with disgust the blonde's name at the end.

She turned her face trying to avoid his eyes.

"Do you even like men?" he asked intrigued.

"Damien! You're crossing the line!" she warned.

"Do you still love her?" he insisted.

"I love _you!"_ she replied exasperated.

"I didn't ask you if you love me, I asked you if you're still in love with that woman!" he yelled.

"Why are you putting me the same questions she did?" she yelled back.

On these last words his eyes widened and she started to cry.

"She kept pushing to admit my feelings and I kept telling her that I love you… that she should stop all this. She said that she won't let marry you unless she's sure that I totally forgot her… and I kept telling her that that I love you…" Michiru added trough her tears and those words instantly melt Damien's heart. He suddenly felt sorry for yelling at her and for making her cry. She loved him and he was jealous over an overprotective ex-girlfriend who couldn't understand that she had moved on. He approached her and took her in his arms.

"Hush… Hush…" he whispered softly. "I'm sorry, please don't cry anymore"

But Michiru couldn't stop crying and she couldn't stop repeating the same words: _"I told her that I loved you…"_. He didn't know though, that she kept saying those words in order to convince herself of her feelings, of her own choices. He didn't know that she was crying because she had missed like crazy her tall and arrogant blonde and now the blonde will leave knowing that she will marry someone else. It killed her to know that she had her so close and yet she slept through her fingers.

It killed her…

"_Haruka will leave in a couple of days and I will never see her again…"_

"_Haruka will leave in a couple of days and I will never see her again…"_

"_Haruka will leave in a couple of days and I will never see her again…"_

That was all she could think of…

.

* * *

******_Don't forget to review! See ya next time!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/Michiru to appear in their lives... **_

_**.**_

_**Sailor Nimnard, haruanto, Alexia, Luna Goddess of the Night Sky, Jay, Guest, Poseidon'Wrath, Venus5-Gryffindor, Keeper Aki as usual, thank you for the reviews!**_

_**I already wrote two chapters ahead, so it depends on how much you review how fast i will post them :D**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**10. "Charlie, you're **__**not in love, **__**you're just drunk, "**_

_**.**_

Haruka was alone in the kitchen sitting at the table. She was starring at a note on which it was written a phone number. Usagi gave her that number before she left:

"It's Michiru's phone number. I don't want to come between the two of you, but after what happened this evening, I think you need to talk with her…"

That's what she told her. Now as she was back home she was asking herself if calling her would do any good. She took a cigarette from the pocket she had on the table and lightened.

"Since when are you smoking, Haruka?" a voice came from the stairs. She lift her head and saw her mother approaching.

"Since never…" she replied with a slight smile. "I just stole these from Charlie"

"And where is Charlie right now?" the mother asked as she took a chair and sat at the table in front of her.

"To be honest… I haven't got the slightest idea. She kind of… dumped me"

The mother cocked her eyebrows surprised.

"No girl would have left you in a foreign country in which she doesn't even know how to ask where the toilets are"

Haruka laughed.

"Well, believe it or not… she did"

The mother frowned.

"May I ask what happened?"

Haruka bit her lower lip.

"It's … complicated"

"I'm sure it is… thing are never easy when it comes to you"

Haruka laughed again and then put down the note she had been holding all this time. She took a drag of the cigarette and displeased with its taste she lighted if off on the sink.

"Mom, you are right… smoking is not for me" she said as she threw the cigarette in the garbage bin.

"Haruka, what happened?" the mother asked with serious voice and Haruka turned to her with a hurt expression.

"Michiru… was at the wedding"

On those words from the mother's face any expression disappeared.

"She's engaged. Did you know that?" Haruka added trying to sound casually and unaffected.

"Did you make a scene?" the mother asked.

Haruka laughed.

"Did you make a scene at the wedding?" the mother repeated the question with the same serious voice.

"I kind of… ripped her dress" Haruka replied with a tangled expression.

"This is a metaphor, right?" the mother asked.

Haruka lowered her eyes starting to play with the note again.

"Tell that at least you didn't do it in the public!" the mother insisted and again, Haruka didn't say a word. The mother sighted loudly. "What were you thinking, Haruka?"

"Well that's the problem, I wasn't actually thinking. I just wanted to make sure that she loves her fiancé, that what he once had truly ended but then things got out of control. I hate to admit this mom, but even after all this time I can't keep my head cool when I'm around her." Haruka finally spoke, taking her head into her palms.

The mother approached and took her in her arms even though Haruka didn't respond to the her embrace. During years she had become too old and too cold for it.

"I wish I could tell you something to comfort you, but all the words I told you six years ago when you were staying right in this place and you were crying over her proved their uselessness. I wish you to let her go and move on, but who am I to command to your heard?"

"Oh, mother, believe me! If I could I would get her out of my mind but she's always there and even if she's not next to in person me she the realest thing in my existence"

The mother remained silent, holding her tighter.

"And even if one day I'll succeed in pulling her out of my thoughts the pain will be harder than if I'll just keep on dreaming about her." Haruka continued. "I know it's crazy but i'm afraid that if she'd ever disappear from my life I will literally die. She's part of me, mother! How can I fight with that?"

"That's right, you can't…but that doesn't mean you can't try. Hope is the last one to die and Haruka you deserve to find your own happiness." the mother finally said.

"Do I, mother?" Harkuka asked bitterly.

"Of course you do!" the mother answered as she took her face in her palms with tender gesture. "My beautiful girl, how could have such a bad opinion about yourself?"

"Oh, mom, stop this sugar crap!" Haruka replied with a weary face and put down the note with Michiru's number.

The mother then took a step behind and started to clean the table. She took the pack of cigarettes and the note ready to throw them in the garabge.

"No , wait!" Haruka riposted.

The mother stopped confused looking at the cigarette package.

"But didn't you say that smoking it's not for you?"

"I didn't mean the cigarettes. You can throw them, but give back that note." Haruka answered.

The mother then looked at the note, unfolding it. When she saw the number written on it, she frowned.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's… Michiru's phone number" Haruka answered with an uncomfortable look.

The mother than crumpled directing it to the garbage bin.

"I said NO!" Haruka riposted stopping her mother and taking the note back.

"Haruka, stop this! You have no reason to call her! She's getting married!"

"I know that, thank you!" she replied irritated.

"Then why are hurting yourself? Talking with her will not do you any good!"

Haruka put the note in the pocket of her pants.

"I'm will not try to win her back, nor ruin her wedding" Haruka said categorically.

"Then what are you trying to do?"

Haruka displayed a bitter smile.

"A friend can do no harm, right?"

The mother's eyes widened surprised.

"Are going to be friends with her?"

Haruka looked into her mother's eyes for a couple of moments and then she nodded affirmatively.

"Are you sure you can do that?" the mother asked worried, but before Haruka could give her answer a strong noise was heard in the hallway as someone brutally opened the entrance door. Both Haruka and her mother got up from the table and ran to the entrance, but then they both stopped with straight faces as they saw the gorgeous brunette stumbling in her own golden dress.

"I guess that answer the question 'where is Charlie?' " Haruka said sarcastically.

The mother gasped annoyed.

"She totally drank! Look at her!"

Charlie tried to get up in her feet and her eyes met Haruka's.

"Tomorrow, you're paying me the plane ticket back to America!" she hissed.

"Be sure of that." Haruka replied as she approached to help her get up.

"I hate you and I hate Japan… and I hate you, Haruka!" Charlie mumbled with a drunken voice.

"Take her upstairs!" the mother said coldly.

"I hate you, Haruka!" Charlie insisted. " Kaioh was right, you are a bitch!"

"Mom, I'm taking her to my room. Could you please prepare for me the couch in the leaving room?"

The mother looked once again at the noisy and drunk Charlie and then she nodded heading to living room.

"You are booking me a place ticket back home, in this instant!" Charlie growled as Haruka was helping her to climb the stairs.

"Could you try to walk straight?" Haruka asked coldly.

"NO!" Charlie snapped back. "I'm drunk!" and then she suddenly started to cry, losing all the will to move. She just let herself leaning on the stairs, while crying louder.

"Could you get up, please?" Haruka asked trying to be patient.

"No, I can't and I don't want to!" she replied trough her tears. "Oh, just go away! Go and listen to some of that fancy violinist music and leave me alone!"

Haruka took a deep breath starting to lose her patience.

"I can't let you here. You'll wake up the whole house with your crocodile tears."

"Crocodile tears?!" the brunette snapped back, starting to cry even louder, moment in which she Haruka truly lost all her patience. Willing to end all this show she grabbed Charlie by her waist and took her in arms, in the bridal style. Charlie didn't protest. On the contrary, she put her arms around Haruka's neck and buried her face on her chest.

"Me… cheated by a woman!" she mumbled. "How could you cheat on me, Haruka?"

"I didn't cheat on you" the blonde answered.

"But you did, with your heart. I mean I can understand that she has… more class than me, but still! How could you?"

Haruka leaned her shoulder and opened the door to her room.

"You broke my heart!" Charlie snapped as Haruka put her on bed.

"Charlie the most likely thing I broke to you was your ego, but not your heart." Haruka answered as she closed the door.

Charlie began to cry again.

"Now that it's the end I finally understand that I am truly in love with you…"

"Charlie, you're not in love, you're just drunk,…"

"Oh, but what do you know about my heart!?" the brunette snapped.

"I know that it's angry because it couldn't get me fall in love with you"

"You're not taking me seriously, aren't you?" she said desperately.

"But I am, Charlie and in order to prove how serious I take, I will book you a plane ticket back to America tomorrow, just like you asked me."

Charlie's eyes widened for a moment and then she buried her face on the pillow along with her tears, while Haruka turned on her laptop and started to look for a place ticket..

* * *

.

_**See ya next time! :)**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives...**_

_**.**_

_**Alexia (Haruka's mother will like anyone who'd make Haruka happy and viceversa), **__**Sailor Nimnard, **__**Venus5-Gryffindor**__**, **__**Luna Goddess of the Night Sky**__** , **__**Keeper Aki**__**, **__**Guest (I also believe that Charlie has some feelings for Haruka, but the blonde will never accept them. Her mind it's obviously set on Michiru), **__**Jay**__** , as usual thank you for the reviews.**_

_**.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**10. Would you care for a cup of coffee with me?**_

.

_And there is a moment in life when you start wondering what path you should follow._

_I once chose to be fighter and I thought I could accomplish my mission alone. I was wrong. I knew that the moment I met her.. _

_I once chose to follow my heart but then I learned that love can only be made in two. I could love her and my love could be enough to replace the rest of the world, but it would be worthless is she won't love me back…_

_I once thought that loving her was my reason of existence, but in the end she proved to know me better than myself. Apparently, more than waking up in her arms, I needed to do something with my life. I needed to stand on my own because even though I was never alone I never had anything on my own, except for myself. Not even her… She was never mine because she's like the wind. She's everywhere around me and yet always faster than me. _

_And there is a moment in life when you start wondering what people you should follow._

_It's useless trying to keep up with her and It's too painful to wait for her return, so lately I've been investing time in myself. Lately I've become a violinist… Lately I've become an engaged woman._

_Life it's a matter of choices and chose to stay by the side of the man who never mistreated me._

_He's the one who stayed, while she left… _

_He's the one who will never leave, so he gained the right of knowing everything about me._

_I will tell you Damien, about the one thing I cannot control. The one thing that lingers inside me, despite time and distance: It's the air, Damien! The air I keep berthing and without which I would die._

_._

* * *

_._

"So once we were on this love contest…" Michiru said as she was laying naked in Damien's arms.

"Love contest?" Damien asked incredulously.

"Yes, we infiltrated there, pretending to be lovers because we were investigating something…"

"You were investigating? But what were you in highschool, some kind of private detective?"

"Well you could call it like that. Anyway, we were on this contest and Haruka kept winning all the games. On the last one the boys had to declare their love and do you want to know what she said? "Show it's over. At this rate we will win and only true love needs to win" and then she took a step and spreading her arms toward the audience she shouted "Love is everything!"

Damien instantly began to laugh.

"Did she really say that?"

"Trust me, she did!" Michiru replied laughing too. "It was kind of awkward, but that was her and I was used with the scenes she was making. It's rather surprising for someone who doesn't know her, because at the first sight she looks like a well educated gentleman. But trust me, Damien she is just a spoiled child!"

Damien smiled and kissed her forehead. Apparently make up sex was the best way to end a fight. Right now none of them was tensed or angry anymore. She was laying in his arms talking about her past and he was listening to her with his eyes closed. She started to talk from her own initiative so he was more than eager to hear about this famous Haruka Tenoh. Surprisingly the more he heard about her, the less jealous he was. Actually Haruka had been for his fiancé the friend every girl would have liked to have.

"Michiru, I don't want this to sound strange on this one, but for me it appears that Haruka had been more of a friend than a lover."

"Actually she was more than a friend and a lover at the same time. She was my partner."

The silence fell for a couple of seconds.

"It only happened once, you know?" she said with a low voice as if she was sharing one of her biggest secrets. He suddenly opened his eyes, ready to listen carefully since he knew what she was referring to.

"It was the perfect night, the perfect moment because we were finally free to live our lives the way we wanted, but the next the day she left me…"

Damien turned to her, looking into her eyes that were sparkling in the blue moonlight.

"Do you think that she left because of what happened between the two of you that night? Do you think she got cold feet and backed off because both of you were girls?"

Michiru let out a slight, bitter laugh.

"If only things would have been that easy. She left because she feared that this will become too serious and she will hold me back from following my dream of becoming a violinist. She wanted me to be free to live my own live. She knew I would have never left her, so she let me go…"

Damien turned his gaze to the dark ceiling and let out a sight.

"What you had with her seems very deep. Do you think that we will have a connection as strong as the one you had with her?"

"Isn't it a little too late to ask that?"

"We are not married yet, Michiru"

"But we will be…" she added.

He smiled, but that smile was somehow painful and for a reason he couldn't name Haruka's image appeared in his mind. Now this woman no longer seemed terrible. If she wouldn't have been the one to take Michiru's heart before him, she would have actually admired her.

"This will sound strange coming from my mouth because no matter how you put it, Haruka is my rival I shouldn't take her side, but I think that she left you because she loved you too much…"

"I know… and that's why I was never able hate her." Michiru answered and he could swear that he saw a warm smile upon her lips. He also smiled and then he closed his eyes. What he didn't know thought, was that after he fell asleep Michiru added with a whisper:

"_And that's why I still love her"_

On her side, what she didn't know about Damien was that during that night he actually dreamed about that tall and husky blonde. It was the dream he expected the least.

_He was in a park and in front of him there were some stairs taking on the top of a hill. At the foot of the stairs there was that tall blonde dressed in a masculine shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She was looking at the top of the stairs at a girl who was playing the violin. He could swear that the girl was Michiru, but she was too far away to distinguish._

"_She plays beautifully" he said and the tall blonde turned to him with a proud smile._

"_Thank you" she said._

_He frowned confused asking himself why would that woman take the compliment he made to the violinist so personally. He looked at the blonde and he suddenly wanted to approach her. He didn't know why. He just did. That woman seemed so confident of her and yet so feminine. She had that long and graceful neck coming out of the shirt's collar and the breeze was curling her short hair revealing more of her beautiful skin. He could clearly see it the beauty she was hiding beneath those clothes, … and yet he wanted to see more! He wanted to feel more of that warm breeze that was haloing her. _

_That woman was strong as the earth, but graceful as the wind. That's what he thought when out of nowhere he heard himself asking:_

"_Would you care for a cup of coffee with me?"_

_The blonde turned to him with an incredulously and at the same time amused look. She started to laugh and then she began to climb the stairs heading to that violinist girl._

_And Damien as he was left behind he felt that there was no air left to breathe…When Haruka left he felt like she took all his air with her…_

_._

_._

Michiru heard the phone ringing. She tried to ignore it, but it kept ringing so in the end put a dressing gown on hear and went to the living room where she had left the cell phone.

"Yes…" she said with a sleepy voice.

"Michiru?..."

And her sleep suddenly vanished.

"Haruka!"

"I'm sorry to call you… I mean I know that in this moment you probably wish to never hear from me again, but actually I need to see you."

Her eyes widened, but since her heart began to beat fast she couldn't say anything.

"Don't worry. It won't take long… I just wanted to ask to hand me back the transformation pen I left with you. I know I could have asked you mail it to my parent's house, but I don't really trust post services."

And her heart was beating faster and faster.

"You still have my transformation pen, right Michiru?" Haruka asked sine Michiru was still silent.

"Y-yes…"

"And are you willing to return it to me?"

Michiru took a deep breath.

* * *

.

_**O.o ! Did you see that coming? Let me know what you think about Damien's dream**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives.**_

_**.**_

_**I'm back with a nice (i think chapter).**_

_**Regarding Damien's dream, apparently Ami and i think Luna Goddess of the Night Sky were the only one to be right, but it will all be explained in the next two chapters.**_

_**Ami ( i didn't thought of the meanings of the stairs, but you are right, maybe i just did it intuitively), kaila09100, Guest, Alexia, Venus5-Gryffindor, AleWindT (you don't want an haruka-michiru ending?), Guest, Sailor Nimnard, Jay (what do you hope for that dream to mean? ), Guest (good idea with the pen), Luna Goddess of the Night Sky. All of you thank you for the reviews.  
**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

.

_**11. Better friends than broken ex-lovers**_

_**.**_

Michiru took a deep breath. She passed a hand through her hair to make sure that she looked her best and then she opened the door of the restaurant, making her entrance like and elegant and aristocrat lady. She saw Haruka from the first step she took, but she tried to keep her cool.

"Thank you for coming" Haruka said as she rose from the table, as any gentleman would have done at a lady's arrival.

Michiru only nodded and took her seat, as she held tight the purse in which she was carrying the transformation pen. Haruka also took her seat and powered some red wine in the glass that was waiting for her.

"I know this could take only a minute, but I figure it out since we're already here we could also have lunch" Haruka said.

Michiru looked at her with a straight face, trying to put sing of equality between the person who yesterday ripped her dress and the one in front of her now.

"Or not…" Haruka added lowering her eyes with a bitter smile.

"L-lunch is fine. I was also hungry so…" Michiru finally said, thinking that her desperate attempts of being angry of her for ripping the dress had totally failed.

"Oh, good then!" Haruka instantly replied with a cheeriness she couldn't hide. "Let's see what this place can offer us!"

They both took the big leathered menus hiding their faces behind its covers.

"So when are you returning to America?" Michiru asked casually, even though ever since she walked in this restaurant, her heartbeats were constantly increasing their speed.

"I… don't know" Haruka answered, even though she knew that her plane ticket was booked for the end of the week.

"Then are you planning to stay for a longer period?" Michiru insisted.

"Will that bother you?" Haruka asked and lowered the menu to see her face. Surprisingly, she caught a strange glare in her eyes and as the rest of her face was covered by the menu she couldn't guess that Michiru was actually smiling. Presuming that she won't answer to her question, Haruka raised the menu again, thinking that all she needed was a word from her and she would have never returned to America.

"But Charlie is going back to America this evening." She added wanting somehow to let her know that she was done with the brunette and that moreover she was single now. She lowered again the menu to see if those words raised any reaction, but this time Michiru was apparently concentrated on the food. When Haruka returned to the menu, Michiru looked at her wondering why her blonde would think she would have been interested in that vulgar American girl.

Shortly after that the waiter came.

"May I take your order, please?"

"_Sous vide and quickly seared strip steak with demi glace and wild mushroom_" both of them said at the same time. When they were done, they put down the menu and looked at each other surprised. One moment later they started to laugh.

"Certainly some things never change!" Michiru said remembering how they used to order the same thing every time they were going out. Haruka's laugh slowly fainted though, as she noticed that this was actually the first time to see her smiling in six years. That little gesture made her believe for a moment that they were back to their old selves, to their old relation, but then she saw the engagement ring on her hand. Suddenly the episode from Usagi's wedding came back to her.

"I'm sorry…" she suddenly said when the waiter left.

Michiru turned to her as if something ached in her chest.

"I'm sorry for what I did yesterday ..." Haruka repeated and Michiru could actually feel the pain in her voice.

"Don't be!" Michiru replied coldly. "I know why you did it, even though the gestures to which you appealed weren't truly… orthodox"

Haruka powered herself another glass of wine in order to avoid looking into those electrifying blue eyes.

"I can understand that you tried to push me to me to my limits in order to make sure _that I love the man I'm about to marry_" Michiru continued. "Even though I was expecting from you to do all this in order to make sure that _I still love you_. "

Haruka choke with her wine. She put the glass down and looked at Michiru as her heart was about to pop out of her chest.

"I guess that is the reason I've actually been angry yesterday." Michiru continued, ignoring Haruka's reaction.

Meanwhile the waiter approached with their food and Michiru went silent.

"Would have made any difference if one of us still loved the other?" Haruka asked as her eyes were fixed on the plate.

"To know the answer, one of us ought to actually still love the other, right?" Michiru replied.

"And between us, in my opinion it's pretty clear who that person is" Haruka said referring to herself.

"Indeed, for me as well" Michiru added, also referring to herself.

They ate in silence for a while, until Haruka said again:

"Did you get home well, yesterday?"

"I did, thank you… but I can't say the same thing about my dress"

A flashback from the moment she ripped the long turquoise trial come back to Haruka making her swallow her food with difficulty.

"I'm sorry for the dress… I'm sure you spend a lot of time in order to choose it and a fortune in order to buy it"

"Actually I did" she replied wishing to add _" but I did it because I wanted to look my best in front of you_"

"I… I will pay for the dress" Haruka added slightly ashamed.

Michiru let out a delicate laugh.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, of course!" Haruka replied offended by Michiru's amusement.

"Oh, Haruka just cut all this stiffness! You're acting as if we are some far acquaintances! You know I don't want you to pay for the dress! You know that this distant attitude of yours won't do any good!"

Haruka put down her fork, surprised by Michiru's words.

"Michiru, i…"

But Michiru raised her hand making her sign to remain silent. She was nervous, but she took care to not let her hesitation visible. She looked in Haruka's eyes and continued with a confident but soft voice:

"It's very likely that after this meeting I won't see you again and despite all that happened yesterday, despite the fact that I will soon get married, I don't to remember you as a stranger. I know that beyond all this stiffness there is still the person I once put all my trust… the person who could easily read my mind."

Haruka's eyes widened. Michiru was back to her old self, to the fighter next to whom she saved the world, to the little mermaid she had fell in love with.

"Michiru…" she whispered but her voice cracked.

Michiru smiled gently.

"Haruka, all this acting it's useless… we knew each other way before we were born"

"We do?" she asked with the expression of a hopeless child.

Michiru nodded with the same gentle smile and Haruka let out a relieved gasp. She looked like someone who just came out of the water after she held her breath for a long time.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear this…" she whispered. "I thought that six years and an engagement made you forget that"

Michiru let out an amused laugh.

"A whole world could come between us, but I know that we couldn't forget about each other"

Haruka bit her lips in order to stop her chin from trembling. She needed keep her cool, but this was one of the moment meant to remember her that she was a woman. Fragile and sensitive, just like any other woman. She looked into Michiru' eyes and she couldn't understand why her face seemed so bright and… happy.

"It's you, Haruka…" she said with her most lovely voice. "You're finally back to yourself…"

But it wasn't only Haruka. Both of them were back to their old selves, as if the yesterday episode along with the last six years didn't even exist.

"I lied…" Haruka suddenly said.

Michiru's eyes widened.

"I lied when I said that I wanted back my transformation pen. The truth is that this morning I called because I wanted to see you. I really needed to tell you how sorry I am for leaving that morning" Haruka added with a hurtful frown on her forehead.

Michiru lowered her eyes, her joyful expression suddenly disappearing. It hurt her to hear her talking about that moment, but above all, it hurt her to hear her apologizing when she was about to get married.

"But don't worry, Michiru…" Haruka added softly. "I'm not here to ruin your wedding…"

Michiru raised her eyes.

"I'm here to be your friend" Haruka concluded.

Michiru's eyes widened in strange mixture of surprise and worry.

"My friend?"

Haruka nodded with a bitter smile.

"The friend I never had?" Michiru insisted.

"The friend you always had in me…" Haruka corrected her. "The one who got your back every time you were in trouble. The one who stood up for you and your dreams. The one who cried and laughed with you. The one who not only knows all your stories, but who had lived them, as well…"

Michiru's face suddenly turned white as the snow.

"Are you trying to tell me that you came back?"

"If you are willing to have me, yes, I'm back" Haruka finally admitted.

Michiru suddenly got up from the table and kneeling in front of Haruka, she took her in her arms. For a moment Haruka didn't know how to react but when she felt Michiru's body against hers, when she recognized that familiar sensation of having in her arms, she finally held her strongly, burying her face in her hair.

"You still smell of sea…" she whispered with a trembling voice. She was not the only one to tremble; Michiru was also shaking from the tears that she could no longer hold_. "I'm finally home!"_ was all she could think of as she was becoming a little girl in Haruka's arms.

"_I'm finally home…"_

She raised her chin and she saw herself in Haruka's eyes. Just like magic, all her reason vanished and she stretched her neck, approaching her lips.

"Will you allow me a kiss? Just a friend's kiss…"

Haruka frowned as if she was fighting her heart's most fearful monsters, but the moment Michiru touched her lips all of the suddenly disappeared. It wasn't a kiss, just a brief touch of their lips but it made all her body shivered. She looked in her eyes and fell in love with her for the hundredth time.

"Just a friend's kiss…" she asked with trembling whisper.

"An innocent friend's kiss" Michiru confirmed, but Haruka totally pressed her lips upon hers.

Cold shivers and goose bumps. They totally abandoned themselves in that kiss, listening to the heartbeats that were slowly turning into their most honest words:

"_Friend… lover… mistress… whatever you want me I'll be."_

"_You can be all of them and none at the same time. I couldn't care less as long as you're by your side"_

"_Oh, don't say such words! I left you before so I don't have the right to ask you anything. Instead, anything you'll desire, I'll give you."_

"_Give me just one thing. Yourself. Promise me you'll do that!"_

And in reply, Haruka pressed her lips harder on hers, ignoring that fact that they were still in a restaurant with people starring at them. She couldn't care less. In the moment only she and Michiru were in the entire world.

.

* * *

.

_**So friends or just broken ex-lovers? Let me know :) And don't forget to review!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives...**_

.

_**Sailor Nimnard, Luna Goddess of the Night Sky, Alexia, Jay (Actually i was trying to hint something else in the dream. You'll find out more in the next chapter :) ), Venus5-Gryffindor, Viento-cortante ( Kisses, you also want? Hmmm... the question is from who? : ), haruanto, graceling42 ( yep, the dream wasabout that... kind off), nanicas - as usual thank you for the reviews!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

.

_**13. Make me a woman**_

_**.**_

"I'm not very good at this… so what should we do, precisely? Start to look for dresses and flowers and…I don't know, all those white fluffy things?" Haruka asked, as she left the restaurant and offered her arm to Michiru in order to head down the street.

"Haruka, this is not necessary. I will not ask you to help me with the wedding plan…" Michiru answered.

"But isn't it what _best friends_ do?"

They stetted for _friends. _Despite the mind blowing kiss, Haruka didn't want to interfere with Michiru's live plans. For her it was more than enough to be able to hang around her little mermaid again. As for the kiss, when they surpassed the awkward moment of realizing the whole restaurant was starring at them, they both tried to act as if nothing had happened. When they couldn't succeed on that, they decided to treat it as something of minor importance or at least to pretend in that way. Michiru encouraged herself, motivating that despite her actions she was straight, while Haruka, who couldn't invoke that excuse, told herself that she's just not interested… in romance of any kind, in this period of her life.

"But if you don't want me to… it's alright!" Haruka added.

Michiru's eyes widened.

"Well no! Of course I want! I'd be more than glad for you to do that!" she said and then added with a lower voice, as if she was talking to herself. "Since this means that we will spend a lot of time together…"

Haruka looked at her with the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. After they took a few more steps, though, Michiru suddenly stopped with a worried expression.

"But… Damien!" she managed to say.

"What about _Damien_?" Haruka asked with a weary face.

"He won't like to see us together after Usagi's wedding episode and to be honest I don't like hiding things from him. As a matter a fact I don't want to hide _you, _as if you are some kind of serial criminal!" Michiru answered.

"Or a secret lover, perhaps?" Haruka asked with her cocky- flirty voice.

"I don't know, Haruka is that what you want to be?" Michiru replied in the same manner.

Haruka backed off, decided to not push to flirt any further. She offered her arm to Michiru again and they continued to walk down the street.

"So what are we going to do about Damien? Because there's no way he'll believe that we are friends… _just friends,_ I mean." Michiru asked.

Haruka frowned thoughtfully and stood silent for a couple a couple of minutes. Then she stopped in front of a fashion magazine where an elegant and feminine red dress was exposed.

"The only reason for which your fiancé can't stand me it's because he doesn't think of me as a woman…"

Michiru approached the shop window and then Haruka suddenly turned to her:

"Do you trust me, Michiru?"

Her eyes widened for a second, but not because she doubted the blonde, but because those words made her think of the time they fought together. She was always putting that question when she was about to risk her life in order to protect her.

"Yes, I do" she answered categorically.

"Then give me give me your fiancé's phone number." Haruka requested.

She frowned.

"Are you sure about this?"

"You said you trust, did you?" Haruka replied with a smirk.

With a gasp she reached her purse to take out her phone, but when she opened it she saw inside the transformation pen. Her heart clenched for a moment. She didn't want to give it back. Haruka also noticed, but she didn't say anything. On her turn Michiru didn't say anything and closed the purse without handing back the pen. After she gave Damien's number, the blonde walked walked to a taxi and promised to call her later.

"Please be careful with Damien" she said from the taxi.

Haruka laughed.

"Oh, really? Should I fearing him or what?"

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Knowing you Haruka, I would say that he should fear you and that's why I asked you to be careful. I still want him alive when he returns home."

Haruka let out an amused smile on the corner of her lips, but the only thing she replied was:

"I'll see you later, Michiru!"

And after that, the taxi left. She turned for a moment and looked at Haruka who immediately grabbed her phone, dialing a number. She let out a slight gasp.

"_Later… what does 'later' suppose to mean? Because I don't want to spend my whole day around the phone waiting for you to call"_

_._

* * *

_._

The moment Michiru left, Haruka took her phone and dialed Damien's number. After a few long beeps, a manly voice answered.

"Surprise!" Haruka said sarcastically, after the man greeted.

"_And must I know who is surprising me?"_

"Haruka… Haruka Tenoh." She answered drily.

A few moments of silence passed, until he finally said:

"_Well, this is indeed surprising since the last time we met I told you that I don't want to have anything to do with you and that I don't want to see you around my fiancée. I thought I made myself pretty clear, back then."_

"I also thought I made myself pretty clear, but apparently I didn't. That's why I wanted to remember you that your engagement with Michiru is standing only because I will allow it… and if you don't want me to interfere, I will advise you to come at _Haru no sakura _restaurant. I'll be there at 19.00."

And she hang up before he could answer. After that put the phone into her pocket in got into a cap.

"_Let her still be at home! Let her still be…"_ she mumbled to herself as the driver was pushing the acceleration.

.

* * *

.

Haruka entered the house in hurry and when her mother approached, she only asked:

"Has she left yet?"

"No, she's still packing…" the mother answered surprised by her daughter's rush.

"Ok, thanks!" she said and hurried to the stairs.

In front of her room she stopped for a moment and took a deep breath in order to regain her cool air. After that she slowly opened the room. She saw a suitcase on her bed and in front of the suit case the one brunette she had the best time with ever since she had left Michiru. Charlie was a good girl. From all the points of view. To start with she had a wonderful body. That was what she loved the most about her. Then came her fun personality and her free mind. For a moment she lowered her gaze.

She really liked her… If she hadn't met Michiru first, maybe she would have…

"Charlie…" she whispered.

The brunette stopped packing for a moment and stood silent without facing her.

"What do you want?" she finally asked with a cold voice.

"Firstly, for you to change that tone of voice…"

This time she turned to her with a pair of brown, hateful eyes.

"And if I won't, what would you do about it?" she growled.

"I will make you change it." Haruka answered with her charming voice.

Charlie laughed sarcastically.

"I would like to see that, but unfortunately I don't have the time. I have a place to catch, which by the way, you booked for me."

"The plane is taking off at 22.00, there's plenty of time until then." Haruka replied.

"There's no time left, Haruka. Not for us, as least, so don't try to stop me."

"I won't." she answered as she closed the door.

Charlie's eyes widened hurtfully. The blonde noticed that shade of pain in their glimpse; therefore she avoided to face her.

"Then what do you want?" Charlie snapped bluntly.

"Obviously something that only you can give me…" Haruka answered calmly as she approached the suit case and sat on the edge of the bed. "And in exchange of that, I'll give what you yearned for from the first day we met."

Charlie frowned and then a weary smile appeared on the corner of lips.

"I do not think you know what I yearn for." She stated.

This time Haruka faced with a serious glare.

"Excuse me, but I think I do… and if you want me to give it to you just name it. So let me hear it. Actress? Singer? Dancer?"

Charlie's eyes widened.

"Don't look at me like this." Haruka said with her husky voice. "You know I have the connections that could turn you into a star. Isn't this what you have always wanted?"

Charlie looked at her suspiciously for a few moments and then she finally asked.

"And what do you want in exchange?"

Haruka pierced her with her deep green-blue eyes.

"I want you to turn me into a woman."

Charlie blinked confused.

"You still have time until the place takes off. We could go to the mall and buy a dress or something, to put some make up on and do something about the hair…" Haruka insisted with her most serious expression.

"You're joking, right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Haruka asked with a straight face.

Charlie took step back, worried.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's way I can get Michiru back."

Hearing the violinist's name, Charlie immediately turned her back and continued to pack her things. Haruka though, got up from the bed, grabbing her arm. She pulled her closer to her chest and looked straight in her eyes.

"Charlie, you're the only one who could teach how to act like a woman. You know everything about what it means to be woman … and moreover how to be a charming, mind blowing one Trust me I've met hundreds of women, but none was as good as you when It came to men.."

They were so close that they could breathe each other's air. Charlie felt for a moment that she was about to close her eyes and taste the blonde's lips, but in the end she came back to her senses and faced her coldly:

"No. I won't do it."

Haruka loosened the grip and lowered her gaze.

"I'm begging you."

The brunette's answer was only a disdain look that made Haruka back off and let her go.

"You're cruel, Haruka." Charlie said in the end. "After all that you've done, you're coming to ask for _my _help in order to approach her? Do you think I'm made of steel?"

Haruka smiled.

"Steel? You're titanium, Charlie… and honestly this is one of the things I love about you. Nothing can take you down, not even your heart. In this way you're much stronger than me"

Her eyes widened and for a moment the coldness left them.

"I won't do it…" she said with a trembling voice. "It's a stupid idea anyway. Do you think that if you play the straight, perfect friend role, you'd win something? Maybe you'd fool her, but you won't be able to deny what you are!"

"It's not I or Michiru that I need to fool."

Charlie looked at her curiously.

"It's her fiancé. If I can convince him that I'm _the straight, perfect friend_, he won't have any problem with me spending time with Michiru, even if that time would mean to help her planning the wedding." Haruka confessed.

"You're mad." She hissed incredulously.

"I am… and you're the only one who can help in this charade!" Haruka insisted.

Charlie lowered her eyes and for a couple of minutes a dead silence filled the room, until she finally said:

"I don't want to be a dancer. Too much of a work and I won't even get to be in the spotlight. It would be nice to become a singer, but unfortunately I have no voice… so I guess the only viable option is to become an actress."

Haruka raised her eyes to her with hopeful sparkle.

"Consider it done!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "I'll call Rickman this evening so you can set an audition."

Charlie didn't look enthused though. She just approached Haruka and looked at her with a thoughtful frown.

"Tell me what kind of woman you would like to be? The cute type? The mind blowing one? The feminist and independent one? The sensual one? The wild one?..."

Haruka's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me that you can be any of them!"

"Humph!" the brunette stated.

"Then certainly I was right to ask for your help…" Haruka replied pleased.

"Trust me, Haruka, when I'm done with you'd be able to turn gay boys straight. I'll teach how to walk, how talk, how to dress and how think as a woman…"

Haruka smiled.

"I just wonder which of these types you played to get me…"

Charlie hid for a moment her sad expression and then she turned to the door.

"Come, we must hurry and get to the mall. You need new clothes and new hairstyle."

.

* * *

_** Don't forget to review! I'll try to come back faster! :)**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives.**_

.

_**Alexia, Luna Goddess of the Night Sky, Jay, Sailor Nimnard, HarukaCSW, Venus5-Gryffindor, Keeper Aki, Guest, haruanto, Guest - thank you for your reviews :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

.

_**14. But she deserves better…**_

_**.**_

Charlie was at Narita's departure's gate, sitting on chair and waiting for the check-in of the flight to begin. She was playing with her pack of cigarettes, counting the minutes she had until she will be in the duty-free area and find a small café where she would be able to light up a cigarette. But for the moment, as she was stood on the chair, she was looking from time to time at the woman next to her. A stranger dressed in a red dress, elegant and carefree at the same time, with a distinguished and yet naughty air. She was rather tall, while the high heels of the platform shoes were approaching to height of a model. As a matter a fact her entire air was one of a fashion magazine model. The red and tight dress, long until her knees was revealing some long and perfect legs, while the top was inviting to a perfect sized chest: not too big, but not too small either. And so that all this wouldn't be too inviting, the naked shoulders were covered by a summer bolero on the same color as her shoes: a sandy beige. That color was also close to the one of her hair, styled in a simple but elegant loop at the back of her head.

"How are you feet?" Charlie suddenly asked the woman. She switched her neck, surprised by the fact she was addressing to her, but when the moment of surprise vanished she took of her big, but glamorous sunglasses, reveling a pair of mesmerizing blue-green eyes, highlighted by a shade of makeup. She pierced Charlie with those beautiful, but cold eyes and then parted her red lips in a way that made the brunette think she was ready to confess her love:

"_They're fucking killing me! I_ don't understand how women can walk on these shoes! I swear that I'm buying a pair of sneakers the moment I'm out of here and I'll wear then until that fucking meeting will start!"

And then Charlie widened her eyes horrified by the way the beautiful woman's voice sounded: husky and aggressive to the point it appeared masculine.

"Haruka!" she snapped annoyed."What have I told you about your way of speaking?!"

The woman gasped with a tired air and then put back her sunglasses.

"Yes, I remember. I'm sorry." She said with a completely different voice. Of course, it still kept that husky timbre, but the sound was certainly feminine.

"Good. That's better." Charlie replied. "Remember, Haruka! No man likes to hear a woman speaking in an aggressive way. The only reason for which men listen to us is because they like the way our voices sounds, not because they are interested on what we are actually saying, understood?"

Haruka nodded like a good student.

" But on the other side, men like to be listened to, so even if _Mr. Duchoix_ is going to bore you, pretend that are interesting in what he's saying, that is of course if you want to win him."

"I don't want to win him. I want him to stand me." Haruka replied intrigued.

Charlie cocked an eyebrow.

"Darling, I already know Damien's type. If you want him to stand you, you have to get him to like you - like really _like you-_ and for that kind of guy there are only two ways. One, you must share the same interests, which obviously it's not your case and second it's to be stunningly beautiful and feminine, which fortunately I succeeded in making you… appear at least."

Haruka gasped again.

"Oh! And if he starts saying things that will get you angry, don't start with your cocky and masculine attitude meant to intimidate him. If you want to intimidate him, use you beauty and your grace… that's what normal women do. If he's playing tough, you must play proud and intelligent. If he's provoking you, answer with words, not fits. And be careful of what words you choose: try to avoid swearing. You can be very sharp and bitter even when you are delicate."

Haruka cocked an eyebrow as if all that information was too much for her.

"Oh! The check-in Is opened!" Charlie said and got up from the chair grabbing her luggage.

Haruka followed her until she passed her suitcase and then stopped waiting for them to say…

"Good-bye! I guess this is good-bye!" Charlie said trying to sound cheerful.

"Only for a while…."

She looked at the beautiful blonde incredulously.

"No, Haruka… this is truly good-bye. I'm going to follow my own path now, while you are going to chase after your teenage illusions. What can I say… I wish you good luck! Maybe a miracle will happen and Damien will give up on your little mermaid, but for that he'll need one hell of a woman to have his mind on and honestly, next to the little mermaid, I can't think of someone else but you… but God Forbid for that poor guy to fall for you!"

Haruka let out a slight laugh.

"One hell of a woman? You are one of those, Charlie! Trust me!"

The brunette looked at her with a strange glare until she answered with a bitter voice.

"Yes, I know, but unfortunately I wasn't enough for you." She let a pause and then she added. "These days you told me things like "you know what I want", "I'm not in love with you" and you even asked me "what role I played to get you", but you want to know the truth? I didn't play any role. With you I was myself… because for you I truly felt, so now, knowing that I lost you I am king of desperate and pitiful to the point that not even the audition with Rickman could cheer me. It's so strange, Haruka I could have any man that I wish for, but I can't have…"

"Charlie… you had me." Haruka cut in gently. "You had all of me…"

"I didn't have your heart." She replied sorrowfully.

"That is because I didn't have one. My heart doesn't belong to me…"

"But to whom? To _her_?" she asked annoyed, almost raising her voice.

Haruka didn't answer.

"You know that I was truly in love with you, right?" she said with a whisper.

Haruka leaned over her, touching her forehead with her lips.

"But you know that you deserve better, right?" she whispered.

"Yes, I do. That's why I'm leaving." Charlie answered.

Haruka smiled.

"And that's why I'm letting you go…"

And she leaned pressing her lips softly on the brunette's. She could feel them trembling as if he was about to cry, so she parted before the tears could fall down brunette's cheeks.

"Good-bye Charlie…" she whispered.

But Charlie didn't answer. She couldn't. '_Good-bye'_ was a word that hurt too much. She just stepped back with a confused expression and headed to the check point. When her turn came, before she passed she looked back for a moment and try to catch a last glimpse of her beloved Haruka, but unfortunately, she was nowhere. The only person that slightly reassembled her was gorgeous, elegant blonde, dressed in a red dress.

'The subject of all men's fantasies: '_the model type'_ "she whispered and let out a self pleased smile, contempt of her own work.

.

* * *

.

Damien took his place at the Haru no sakura restaurant and looked around with an annoyed air. It was already 19.10 pm.

'For a character that pretends so much to be like a man, you are certainly late, _Miss Tenoh._' He thought and made a sigh to the waitress to bring him a glass of water.

.

* * *

.

Haruka opened her little purse on got a small round mirror checking her looks with some delicate and feminine gestures, while in her mind she was manly growling:

"_I feel so stupid! I feel like a clown! I feel like a drag queen!"_

She put back the mirror with an annoyed gesture and then she turned to the taxi driver with a bored expression, noticing what a poor driver he truly was. She wished she could tell him: " That's it! Let's trade seats?", but of course, she didn't. Not because it was impolite, but because it was impossible for her to drive in those high heels.

"Could you try at least to drive a little faster? I was supposed to be at the restaurant 10 minutes ago." Haruka hissed with her husky voice and the driver turned a pair of horrified eyes when, as Charlie noticed the difference between her looks and her masculine voice. He instantly pressed the acceleration.

'_Damn it! I did it again! I have to control my way of speaking!'_ she scolded herself and then checked her phone to see the time. From checking the time, though, she ended up calling Michiru.

"_You called…" _Michiru's voice sounded surprised from the other side of the wire.

"Well I did promise to get to you later, didn't i?"

"_Yes, you did…"_

"What were you doing now?"

"_I… nothing special. I'm home…maybe I'll cook some dinner later."_

Haruka frowned.

"That's sounds rather boring and definitely not you…"

"_Well, Haruka… people change. They grow up and spending time at home…"_

"Grow up? If that means spending boring evening with doing nothing but watching tv and cooking dinner I'm not looking forward to it even though I'm 25."

She knew her voice sounded stiffed and reproachful, but at the time she couldn't help thinking that if she was in Damien's place, Michiru wouldn't have had the time to get bored at home, because while they lived together…

"_Haruka, have you called just to tease me?"_

Her voice sounded annoyed, so Haruka bit her tongue.

"No, of course not! I just called because…"

"_Then if your life it's not that boring, tell me what are you doing so entertaining than spending some peaceful time at home."_

Haruka laughed.

"Actually, in this moment, I'm on my way to a date with your fiancé."

"_Is that so?"_

" Indeed. I even prepared for it. I bought a really nice dress…"

She heard Michiru laughing.

"_I'm sure you did. I suppose that you also put some make up and got some high hills shoes, right?"_

She was teasing her and she knew. She starred at her red dress and gasped knowing that there was no way Michiru would believe the way she looked now.

"_Haruka… please be careful with Damien…"_

She smiled, but the only thing she could reply was:

"I already miss you…"

But Michiru didn't answer and Haruka wished to see the expression on her face in that moment. She never liked talking on the phone, just because of that. That silence. Was it a bad sign? Was it a good sign?

"Would you like for us to meet tomorrow?" she added.

"_Why not?" _ Michiru answered with a casual voice.

"Great! We could go shopping… or whatever you feel like doing." She replied cheerfully.

" _Haruka, you hate shopping, so please stop trying to get under my skin. We know each other better than that."_

"Sorry…"

"_You could meet after I'll finish my rehearsal and have lunch." Michiru added._

"Well that sounds perfect… to begin with."

"_To begin with? Do you have other things in mind that could entertain me?"_

Haruka's eyes widened. That word "entertain". It was exactly the same word she used the night she left her when test her, to see her true feelings.

"_Haruka are you still there?"_

"I…"

But in that moment the taxi stopped.

"I'm already at the restaurant. I have to go now, Michiru."

.

* * *

.

Meanwhile, Damien changed the water for a shot of whiskey, wondering what on earth made him accept to meet Haruka. It was not like she feared her. Actually he made her a favor of appearing here, and now she was thanking him by not showing up.

'_If she's not appearing in 5 minutes. I'm leaving and God have mercy on her if she approaches me or Michiru again EVER!_' He though and made a weary grimace that turned into an annoyed one when he saw a tall woman, dressed In red taking a seat at his table.

He cocked an eyebrow. The woman was indeed, gorgeous. If she would have come to him a couple of years ago he would have been flattered, but today he didn't have time nor the mood for casual flirts.

"I'm sorry, but I'm expecting someone" he said with a dry voice, meant to discourage her, but the next moment the woman took off her sunglasses and displayed a charming smile, as she answered with the most melodious voice:

"I'm sorry for being late. I was caught in the traffic."

Damien's eyes widened, as he almost dropped his glass of whiskey.

.

.

* * *

.

_**I guess the rest is coming the nest week, until let me know what you think about Haruka's red dress :)**_


	15. Chapter 15

_****__**Dedicated to all the girls who are still waiting for a Haruka/ Michiru to appear in their lives.**_

_**.**_

_**Keeper Aki, Luna Goddess of the Night Sky, Alexia, Sailor Nimnard, Jay, Venus5-Gryffindor, Guest, HarukaCSW- thank you for your reviews.**_

_**.**_

_**Just a little off-topic thing that i would like to add. As a matter a fact it's a request for those among you who might be Americans and college students. I am interested in applying for a master program, but i need someone to explain me a little the procedures (since i'm sure 100% sure they're different from Europe). I'd be more than grateful if someone could take the time to give me a few information about American educational system (since i'm awful when it comes to google it). Feel free to contact me. Thanks!**_

_**.**_

* * *

_**.**_

_**15. La plus belle femme**_

_**.**_

_I was waiting for the terrible drag king I was supposed to have an appointment with, but since she was running late I was slowly absorbed by my own thoughts and worries. Most of them were related to my incapacity of composing a good song in over a year and the wedding Michiru and i will have in spring. Then, at some point a beautiful and elegant lady took a seat at my table. Very tempting, but I was too old for casual flirts. Then the woman told me she is Haruka Tenoh._

_I thought that i had fallen asleep and woke up in a dream. I kept starring at the woman in front of me and wondered where the cocky drag king disappeared. I wondered if someone was playing a bad joke on me. She made a sign to the waitress and asked if I can recommend her something to drink. I was speechless and the only thing I could do was to keep stare at the gracious movement of her long neck, in the most impolite manner._

"_Do I have something on my face?" she asked with an innocent and at the same time worried air._

_No, her face was perfect. I wish I could tell her that, as I wished to ask her who she was, because obviously that ugly duck of Haruka Tenoh couldn't have turned into such a beautiful swan over night. Indeed, a swan. A graceful creature belonging to the sky, but who had hopelessly fallen in love with depth of the ocean._

"_You kind of make me feel uncomfortable…" she whispered as she lowered her gaze with what appeared to an embarrassed shade of blush._

"_I'm sorry…" I finally said, trying to avoid my bold starring. "It's just that you…"_

"_Look differently?" she asked with an amused and playful smile._

"_Differently it's an euphemistic way of saying…"_

_She smiled again. What a smile she had!_

"_I believe it's because of the dress, but you know no matter what impression I created you the last time, I'm still a woman."_

_A woman. I must confess, that was the thing I expected the least._

"_Actually I'm so glad that I can finally wear a dress again." She began with a casual voice. "I'm kind of fed up with those tuxedos and manly shirts."_

_I frowned confused._

"_Well don't look at me like this." She said with an innocent air. "Don't tell me that you believe that I actually enjoy wearing man's clothes. What woman would like that? It's just that my manager had put me through all this trouble, because he told me that there's no way I'd be taken serious in racer's word if I'll come and wave my fluffy dresses before every competition."_

_I cocked my eyebrow and she knew I wasn't truly convinced of her words. She gasped and turned her eyes to the widow watching the passersby. She had a dreamy expression that made her look like one of those portraits from the romantic period. I found myself starring again at her, analyzing her every details as if she was a priceless piece of art. I was so hard trying to find her a defect, but my attempts were useless._

"_It didn't always race, you know? I could have become a pianist."_

_The last word caught my attention. The piano looked like someone that could suit the person In front of my eyes, but I definitely could not saw the savage racer dealing with such a soft music._

"_I studied piano from five until I was sixteen, but what I loved the most was the speed. That sound of the rustling wind when you are running. Therefore, I decided to become a racer.." she began with a dreamy voice. "Unfortunately, racing is a men's world and my manager told me that no matter how good I am, I don't stand a chance if I am not becoming a man, myself…"_

_Then she suddenly turned to me with an embarrassed smile._

"_Sorry, am I boring you with my story?"_

"_No, please, carry on."_

_She smiled. The truth was that I never had the patience of listening to women, but the beauty of this one certainly made me offer her my entire attention._

"_That's how I ended up in man's clothes. It's a pity, I know… but it helped me accomplish my dream. On the other hand when I was invited to Usagi Tsukino's wending, I was excited that I could finally get the chance to wear one of those elegant long dresses, but when I heard that everybody knew that I was invited I couldn't risk for the pres to catch me walking on heels."_

"_And now? Aren't you walking on heels?" I asked._

"_Well now, the press is certainly not following me…" she answered with a slight, girlish smile and I had admit: It sounded lovely. She took raised her glass and barely tasted the wine I recommended her. "You have fine tastes…" she added._

"_I'm sorry?" I asked confused._

"_I was referring to the wine…" she answered and smiled again._

_I looked at her for a couple of moments, disturbed by her beauty and suspicious of that sudden change of attitude._

"_I'm sorry, Miss Tenoh, but you're confusing me. Earlier on the phone you were practically menacing me and now you came here with this cheerful and friendly attitude. I might want to ask you, what is the reason for which you called me here?"_

"_I want to clear a misunderstanding." She immediately said."You see… it's about Michiru…"_

_And now we finally cut to the chase._

"_I don't think there are any misunderstandings on this matter. She told me everything about… what happened between the two of you."_

_For a moment I saw that passionate glare in her eyes, familiar to the Haruka Tenoh I met at the wedding, but then she immediately returned her feminine aura._

"_She told you everything, you say… did she also told you why did I left her?"_

_That really got my attention. I looked at her curiously._

"_That night… I panicked. It's strange, but it's true. I felt so bad of what I've done. I mean we were both girls and it wasn't normal… and …"_

_I frowned. She looked quite disturbed when she confessed those words, as if she regretted what she had done. It was guilt that I didn't felt in Michiru's voice when she told me all about her. Could that possible meant that she…_

"_So you're not… a lesbian?" I finally asked._

_Her eyes widened as if that word hurt her ears._

"_What?!" she snapped offended. "Me?! No!"_

_I was totally confused._

" _I mean, I love Michiru! She had been my best friend, but I love her as a sister! That's all!"_

_Hardly to believe it, but she was so passionate about her words._

"_As for the wedding, I felt guilty when I saw her , because I left without saying a word. Moreover, when I found out that she was engaged, I was rather confused. I didn't even know if she did it because she loved you… I didn't even know If she was straight or not, so I wanted to find out. I teased her a little so I could find what her truly felling were, because if she didn't truly loved, believe or not, I wouldn't have allowed this marriage."_

_That was unexpected._

"_Are you trying to say that you did that entire scene at the wedding because you actually wanted to make sure that Michiru is marrying me because she loves me?"_

_She nodded with a childish smile. In that moment I knew the person in front of myself was a 100% woman, because only women could think of such complicated feelings and dramas. For me things were simple. I knew two things: One was that I loved Michiru and the other was that the woman in front of me was stunningly beautiful. It was that kind of beauty that was literally taking my breath away._

"_But do you know what she told me?" she asked with the same girlish and cheerful smile._

_I looked at her waiting for the answer._

"_She told me that she loves you!"_

_Good. I am so… "surprised" of that._

"_So congratulations! You two are getting married! I'm so excited! Of course, I'm also envious because Michiru is getting married before me, but that doesn't mean I'm not happy for the two of you!" she immediately added with an excited voice._

"_Are you?"_

"_Well of course! I'm going to be the maid of honor, after all!"_

_I cocked my eyebrows and she immediately put a sad expression._

"_You don't want me to be the maid of honor don't you?..."_

_I don't what she said after those words, because I was too occupied with analyzing that new expression I discovered on her face. That lovely pouted air, making her look like a bored aristocrat. It is unbelievable: she was beautiful even when she was sad. She began to tell me storied from the time she spent with Michiru in highschool, but as I was never able to listen to any woman beside Michiru, I didn't get too much from her words. I was too preoccupied of defining the strange feelings that this woman was twisting in me. There was no doubt she was straight, because no gay woman could awake such an intrigue in me._

_Soon, we left the restaurant and took a few steps down the street. I was walking beside her, pretending to listen to her stories, while in reality I was only listening to that husky but deep voice of her. I was slowly beginning to understand that Haruka wasn't only the model cut from a fashion magazine. This woman was as strong as she was beautiful and surprisingly, I found myself enjoying her company._

_I asked her, if would like share a cup of coffee before heading home, but on that question she turned to me surprised and let out a slight laugh. She refused my invitation and said good-bye. _

_She refused me… and when she left I felt that I was suffocating. It was as if when she took all my air with her. It was something I never experienced before, except for that one time…_

_And then I stopped in the middle of the street, as I remembered the dream I had last night. I felt so hopeless In that moment… and somehow cursed, because even though I didn't understood its meaning I couldn't chase away that thought that was slowly overwhelming my mind:_

"_Elle est la plus belle femme que j'ai vu pendant toute ma vie…"_

_Therefore, i feared her. Therefore, i feared myself._

_._

* * *

_._

Haruka growled annoyed and took of her shoes continuing to walk with bare feet. She didn't care. She was near home already… and she was exhausted. Never in her life had she pretended more than she had did that evening.

"Stupid asshole!" she hissed when she remembered Damien inviting her to coffee. " As if that sour wine you recommended wasn't enough!"

She took a few steps and then she was two men stepping into the light from a gang way.

"Such a beautiful and lonely lady. Don't you need some companionship?" one of them asked.

"Beat it!" Haruka growled with her most masculine and menacing voice. The two of them immediately backed off scared and while they were furthering, she heard one of them mumbling "_Are crazy, dude? That was a man in woman's clothes!"._ She gasped and entered the alley leading to her house. As she passed the threshold and her mother encountered her, she saw her startling.

"Mom, it's me." Haruka intoned exasperated.

The mother looked at her dumbfounded for a couple of seconds and when she finally came back to her senses, she smiled with an enthused sparkle in her eyes.

"Wait, here! Don't move an inch!" she said.

"Mom, I want to go and change…" Haruka replied tiredly.

"No way! You're not changing before your father sees you and take a few pictures with you dressed like this!"

Haruka tried to protest, but her mother was already on the stairs calling for her husband to get the camera. She growled annoyed and went to the kitchen where she sent the platform shoes directly to the trashcan. When she turned, she saw her father on the threshold with tear in his eyes:

"Daughter! I have a daughter! Finally!"

Haruka put on a weary and worried face as she saw him approaching her and didn't have the time dodge from his embrace.

.

* * *

.

Michiru was waiting for Haruka to call. She didn't promise she will call, but she found herself waiting . As she did so, at some point entrance door opened. Damien arrived home. She got up from the couch to greet him and she found a strange smile upon his face. She knew that he was coming from a date with Haruka, so there shouldn't have been any reason for him to be in such a good mood.

"Michiru I found it!" he intoned as he took his shoes off and stepped into the house. He came to her and suddenly lift her in a pirouette. "I found the inspiration I lack, Michiru! Now I can finally write music again!"

Michiru's eyes widened.

"How come? What happened?"

In reply he started to hum and put her down, approaching the piano where he intoned a few notes.

"Oh, Michiru! I swear that on my way home, nothing but music was floating in my mind!"

He started to hum again, so Michiru wondered if Haruka had anything to do with it. She was hesitating on asking him, though. When she finally opened her mouth, ready to ask how the meeting went, the phone started to ring.

"Hello?"

"Michiru, come and dance with me!" Damien called.

She put a hand over the microphone and turned to him.

"I'm on the phone."

"Forget the phone!" he said with glamorous smile, as he took the phone from her hand and threw it on the couch. "Come, dance with me!"

.

* * *

.

When she finally escaped from her father and the photo session, Haruka retired to her room. She threw herself on the bed with a tired gesture and took her phone. She looked at it for a couple of minutes. It has been a crazy day: Charlie left, she wore a dress for the first time in six years and she had to bear that annoying French composer for more than two hours. She was exhausted and the only thing she wished for, was to hear Michiru's voice whispering her '_good night'._

In the end she dialed her number. She heard her voice answering and she uncontrollably felt happy, but then she heard a noise, as if the phone had been dropped.

"Hello, Michiru! Are you still there?"

And then she heard Damien's voice on the background. He was singing. Then she heard Michiru's voice laughing. They appeared to be dancing. Her heart clenched. She wished she could hang up, but she was unable to move. She continued listening on how they were having fun. She imagined him embracing her, caressing her…kissing her. On that imagine, she finally hang up and took the pillow, holding it tight.

She had no reason of being jealous. For Michiru, she was just a _friend_. Moreover she was the friend who was going to help her organizing the wedding. Then why did she felt like crying? Why did she wish so badly to be in Damien's place?

Michiru was laughing in his arms. She just wished she would have been the one making her laugh.

Never before, the friendship had been so painful to her.

.

* * *

.

**_See ya' next time! Don't forget to review!_**


End file.
